Dark Stained Soul
by Eveythefirst
Summary: Alec travels to Edom to bring Magnus back. Something goes wrong and Jace must fix the parabati bond. Both learn that some things cannot be fixed with a wave of magic and a dose of medicine. And that love does not always stay the same.
1. Chapter 1

**DARK STAINED SOUL**

By Evey

**Chapter One**

_Why did I come here again?_

Alec thought miserably to himself as he trekked across the foreign landscape. One foot in front of the other, puffs of red dirt every few steps he took rose up from the ground. Black hair stuck to the back of his neck in wet clumps. The air was hot and smelt of dirt, decay, and smoke. Edom.

_Magnus. Need to reach Magnus._

Magnus had trapped himself in Edom to save all of Alicante, to save him. The least Alec could do was rescue the man he loved. The man he wanted to protect against his own stupid decision regardless of how many it saved. Alec paused for a moment and clutched at the simple white charm he had given Magnus and attempted to track him again. Nothing.

_How the hell am I going to pull off this plan to get Magnus out of here? _

The shadows ahead of him stretched long. Red light filtering onto everything from a sickly looking sun far in the distance. He stumbled and coughed from the fumes burning his throat. His body not used to the poison from Edom's air. Inhale, cough, exhale, inhale, exhale. Keep walking towards the looming building in the distance that told him it might be where Magnus was.

Magnus wasn't his entire goal though. He needed to find the lost souls of Edom. That is what he really needed, not Magnus. Magnus was the ultimate goal but to get him out he needed the power of the souls. At least that is what the book read, he really hoped that book was right or this was a suicide mission. Alec grimaced at that thought and viciously shoved the downward spiral of doom and death to the back of his mind.

After what felt like an eternity, but was really a few hours Alec reached his goal. Black stony pillars stood before him cresting the red sky. The building was surprisingly devoid of a roof or much of anything for that matter as Alec entered inside to search for Magnus.

He slammed his back into the wall as soon as he was inside, arms up with the Seelie bow and arrow pointed towards the bleak interior of the building. Sweat dripped down his back and matted his hair further to the back of his neck. His breath came in short pants after the miserable hike through what was appearing to be poisonous air. He desperately wanted to call out Magnus's name, but that would accomplish nothing.

_Bring all of Edom down on my head probably. Maybe Lilith and Asmodeus as well._

Alec scoffed at himself. Attempted to track Magnus with the charm and converted Seelie stone he had acquired before leaving on this deadly mission. This time he found a faint trail to follow now that he was much closer to his intended target.

_Finally, found you. Still have no idea where the souls are hidden._

Souls he would need if he ever wanted to leave this place alive. He heaved a sigh internally and began the task of casing each room he passed.

Each room more empty than the last until he arrived at what appeared to be a throne room. And on that throne a man dressed in black and golden eyes with a dark haired female figure nearby slowly turning towards him.

"Alexander?" The surprise in Magnus's voice turned his heart a little lighter, but dread filled him a second later as he realized the other figure was Lilith.

_Great. Enemy number one._

"The lovely Shadowhunter you so adore." she crooned with a viciousness filled with cold hate. Golden dress shimmering as she walked closer to Magnus, hands slowly moving to motion towards Alec. "I could make him yours for..."

"But you won't." Magnus cut in blue, electric magic shot towards Lilith slamming into her with enough force to knock her back and off her feet. Rolling herself up to her knees she glared at Magnus with hate. Magnus looked calmly back, arms spread out across his throne, legs crossed calmly, head tilted as he watched with distaste at Lilith.

Alec slowly moved further into the room, bow still up and arrow notched towards Lilith.

Lilith shoved her feet under her and stood up angrily. "I will have more power than you shortly. I can make your shadowhunter into something that can survive Edom. Just open a rift for me." She snarled, red magic sparking off her hands.

Alec moved to Magnus's side, his eyes never leaving Lilith. The air felt cloying to him and it had been increasingly difficult to repress a cough since he had entered the room.

"Get the hell out of my house." Magnus snapped. It was not a request.

Lilith straightened to her full height and with one last snarl and a vicious, hateful look towards the two of them she left.

Alec let out a breath he had not realized he had been holding, quickly followed by a coughing fit.

_Damnit. I need clean air._

Magnus approached him quickly equal parts concern and anger written all over his face. He lifted up a hand glowing with blue magic and aimed it at Alec's chest.

Cool relief hit a moment later as the blue magic worked to clear his lungs of Edom's poisonous air.

"You will die down here. You must know that. Why did you even come?" Magnus's distress towards Alec's minor coughing fit sent a jolt of anger down Alec's spine.

"I came to get you back!" Alec loudly shouted. It echoed around them. In the distance Alec could hear a demons cry, feral, bone chilling, and long.

"I cannot leave without the rift reopening. You being safe was the only thing that made me happy to be here." Magnus replied bitterly, his whole body seemed to deflate in sorrow, shoulders and back slumping slightly.

"Where are Edom's souls?" Alec inquired instead pushing towards practical matters towards his goal, reaching out to touch Magnus's cheek forcing the warlock to look at him.

Magnus's form froze for a moment, breathed in then straightened to look directly in Alec's eyes. The gold of Magnus's eyes glittered in the red light.

"No."

_What!? Why? _

Magnus's face hardened into a mask. He must have seen the look of disbelief across Alec's face and Alec tried to wipe it clear, dropping his arm with a jerk to stand tall and relax his stance at the same time.

"Why can't you tell me?" Alec pleaded while a fire of rage was starting to build inside. Rage and fear that Magnus would prefer to stay in Edom rather than tell Alec where the souls were hidden. The souls that powered all of Edom.

_Control the situation. Stick to the plan._

Magnus snapped voice growing louder as he spoke. "Because I will not sacrifice thousands of souls just to release myself from my own decisions!"

"You must tell me if you want to see me free of Edom as well then. The souls may not even be harmed." Alec stated as calmly as he could while cold fear started to spread down his spine and his lungs started to burn from the air again. The need to cough was starting up again. The souls needed to remain the only way he could get out of Edom, any other way would leave Magnus behind.

Magnus looked torn, old and weary as all his hundreds of years ever could in that moment. Alec felt vaguely guilty for even coming to Edom with that look. Yet, he had decided he could not live without him, made the decision to do this on his own rather than risk his family.

"I'm not letting you go without a fight." Alec declared stepping towards Magnus in an attempt to sway him.

"And I am not risking everything you and I have fought to protect to save one person!" Magnus yelled. "Even if that person is the one I love the most!" He finished softly, heartbreak clear in his voice.

Alec rocked back on his heels from that statement. Felt the words like a blow to the chest. Selfish. He had come here because he was selfish enough to love, to want Magnus back in the realm of humanity and Shadowhunters.

"Then tell me where the souls are and we don't risk destroying everything we have fought to protect." Alec reasoned, spreading his arms out and waved them towards the open windows where red sky could be seen. Somewhere out there in the vast red plains was what he needed.

"I refuse." Magnus said flatly turning away.

"It is the only way." Alec pleaded his gut turning to stone as he realized Magnus might not accept his plan.

"There is always another way." Magnus replied.

_It's his magic._

Cold realization hit Alec hard. Magnus had already lost his magic not once but twice. If Alec destroyed Edom, he might lose his magic a third time.

"You want to discuss being selfish? You really won't tell me the souls location because you _might _lose your magic? Magic you gave up willingly _twice!?"_

Magnus spun around to face Alec. "And I cannot do it again!" Magnus all but screamed into Alec's face, veins in his neck protruding, desperation in his yellow cat-eyes.

_It would break him__._

"Fine." Alec said simple and cold. He turned and walked away. "I'll find it myself."

_Or die trying. Morbid. Stop. Do the mission._

Alec walked out of Magnus's home. He hoped Magnus would immediately follow, relied on it. No such luck. Apparently stubbornness was a trait they both will always share as leaders. Movement caught his eye to the left.

_Now what._

Alec turned slowly bringing an arm up to grab an arrow from the quiver, notching it, and letting the bow and arrow rest in his arms as he approached where he had seen movement. He was in Edom, any movement meant a demon. And a demon meant a spy, killer, or worse.

Something heavy slammed into him from behind, followed by a sharp pain in his head. He struggled to hold onto his bow and turn to the attacker but blackness was quickly swallowing his vision. Another hit to the head and blackness consumed him whole.

He awoke later in stages. Being dragged along the dirt, some kind of mask over his face to prevent him from seeing anything. Then darkness. Then again another bout of consciousness only to realize his mouth was wet, with what he did not know and did not particularly want to know. The mask was still on and he was still being dragged. The third time he managed to stay awake and groan.

"Good you are awake."

_What is going on?_

That was Jonathan Morgenstern's voice.

_I'm not dead. Yet._

The point in Alec's court to not be dead around Jonathan felt like both a win and a loss. Then he realized Jonathan was talking to him and that he should probably be paying attention like a good soldier rather than wallowing in the existential crisis of being alive or dead.

"...hence why I need you."

_Fuck. What did he just miss?_

"Also, we are here. So if you don't mind just slice yourself up a bit and destroy the runes and we can all go home." Jonathan said casually.

_Runes? In Edom? The book was right._

The mask was ripped off his face rather harshly and even in the dim light of the red sun Alec found himself blinking at the sudden brightness. He looked around and saw a familiar landscape of red dead ground and red sky, yet nothing looked the same. With a start he realized the air held no demons flying through it, no demons crying in the background. No demons at all. Jonathan stood before him, red hair cropped short, dressed all in black, pointed face looking at him with something indecipherable in his eyes.

"Where are we?" Alec cautiously asked Jonathan.

"Edom." Jonathan replied still staring at him.

_Asshole. _

"Typical." is what came out instead.

Jonathan actually grinned at that. He came closer and Alec noticed that his red hair was covered in a fine layer of dust, teeth just a tad too sharp, and eyes that could not seem to decide on a hazy green or black color. When he tried to focus on it he realized he was getting a headache. Jonathan moved to cut the bindings from around Alec's wrists and held up a flask. Alec eyed it warily.

"It's water." The demon said with a mocking smirk.

Alec stared at him, unbelieving that this monster could ever give assistance to anyone. Something wet and cold hit him in the face and he reared back expecting it to burn him. He started slapping at his clothes to get it off him only to freeze. It was water. Water in Edom. Alec's parched throat and raw lungs screamed at him and he lunged for Jonathan and the water flask. Jonathan rolled with the lunge and with a simple hip twist flipped them the rest of the way over and pinned Alec to the ground. It was embarrassing how easy Jonathan won that little tussle.

_And I'm supposed to be this great warrior._

"You get your water when you break the seals to Edom." Jonathan ordered not letting Alec up.

_No._

Jonathan sat up, a scathing smile growing. "I thought you wanted to save your precious warlock? That is why you wanted the well of souls, did you not?"

Alec stared up at Jonathan who was still dangling that water flask over his head with a small triumphant smirk. Then Jonathan tilted the flask back and took a sip of the water, tipped it towards Alec a fraction in offering while his eyes flitted from Alec to something to the side of them. Alec looked over to where he had seen the glance. A rune. It was massive. It stood about 20 feet high, large swirls crisscrossing over each other in an ornate pattern incomprehensible to follow and was unlike any angelic rune he had seen before but he knew instantly it was angelic.

_Angelic runes in Edom. Guess the book was right. Learn something new every day._

Alec did not want to dwell on why there were angelic runes in Edom he had dwelled on that fact enough when he was researching prior to even traveling to Edom on this suicide mission that suddenly no longer seemed like a suicide mission if those runes were anything to go by that is precisely what he was looking for.

"Why are you helping me?" Alec asked, eyeing Jonathan who continued to pin him to the ground waiting for an affirmative.

"Consider it helping each other. You help me kill my mother, Lilith. I help you release your boyfriend." Jonathan blandly stated, like working with the person you wanted to kill a couple days ago was nothing strange.

_Not like I have any help from Magnus._

The thought was bitter but true. Magnus held values above all else. And apparently Alec valued...

_Not going there. _

Alec sighed, defeated, hoping that he was right and that rune matched what he remembered of in the book. Stupid book burnt up when he took the portal to Edom. He took a breath and started coughing again. The air was constantly burning his skin and apparently that meant the inside of his lungs as well.

"I'd rather you did this before you keeled over and died on me." Jonathan stated matter-of-factly and precise. Alec felt a spark of hatred towards Jonathan as his lungs gave another painful spasm. But then again he did have demon blood, Lilith's running through him, and was raised in Edom. Cannot imagine Jonathan had many playdates and friends to form any lasting understanding of camaraderie and sharing. The mask was suddenly being shoved back over his head in the midst of his coughing fit. Alec threw an elbow into Jonathan's ribs and was satisfied to hear a grunt and a whoosh of air leave him. But then Jonathan just grabbed him by the throat and held him down while pulling the mask further on. Alec snapped his head up attempting to head-butt Jonathan. Jonathan twisted to the side to avoid it and punched him in the face with the flask. Metal hit the side of his head and he saw stars.

"Stop trying to kill yourself!" Jonathan roared irritated.

Alec froze again. Everything in this place kept throwing him curveballs today. The mask was yanked fully into place and he inhaled to demand what he meant when he realized he could breathe clean air. Well, cleaner than he had been breathing. He opened his mouth to speak, only to realize he could not. Panic started to set in.

"Relax. The mask allows air flow but removes your capacity to speak in the process. A give and take. Now can you toss your blood over the runes. We have several more to go and I for one do not want to meet Lilith while trying to break a bunch of idiot souls free to kill her with."

_Right ok. I can do that._

Some distant part of his mind was asking himself why the hell he was taking orders from a madman and not running back to Magnus like he should have done the moment he awoke and could breathe. Then again if he had run he would probably be dying on the open plains gasping for breathe right about now too. Alec grimaced to himself and picked up his blade. A Seelie blade as any of the angelic ones would have been detected the moment he entered into Edom and made a small cut across his arm to smear along the rune.

"More." Jonathan sounded ecstatic, jubilant, like he was nearing some pleasure peak rather than watching Alec spill the tiniest amount of blood. He spared a glance towards him and saw black eyes watching the drops of blood spill onto the rune where it sparked ominously.

"It needs more of your blood. Angel blood." Jonathan pushed reaching out like he might take the knife and slice up Alec himself.

Alec stepped away. "I'm not committing suicide on the first rune. How many of these are there?" He questioned following the rune with his blood.

"Seven" Jonathan replied watching the ground spark with every smear Alec applied.

_That might kill me._

He glanced at the massive rune realizing all 20 feet of it would need some trace of his blood on it. Deep breathe, cut across the arm the top of his arm, pain bloomed, and began his task. Vaguely wondering how far they would need to walk between each rune as he mapped out the rune in his own blood. Watching it soak the red in so it was hard to tell where he had placed his own blood sometimes. When he was done Jonathan was looking at him with something akin to awe. Why he was not really sure. It was just blood and a rune. Jonathan's own blood, demonic, could probably do a host of damage in other ways. Granted Alec's blood was supposedly about to destroy an entire realm.

_Definitely, might kill me._

When he was finished with the first rune. Jonathan finally, finally gave him the water flask which he guzzled down quickly. Only realizing after he had drunk half of it that he would need to partition out the last half for the other six runes.

_Magnus, you better be worth this_.

They moved onto the next rune and the next and the next. No demons were ever to be seen and he watched Jonathan keep replacing runes on his own body but they glowed red rather than gold and were unlike any angel rune he had seen before. Jonathan drew something on his back at some point between rune five or six, whatever it was made the lightheadedness that had slowly developed completing the other runes fade slightly. Alec weakened by now could not fight him off.

When they reached the last rune Alec's heart sank. He was already covered in sweat, shaky from lack of blood and what he was staring at was easily twice the size of any of the other runes they had completed.

"Go on Alec. Complete it and your mission is over."

_The mission. _

Alec knew they had been conversing periodically during their travels between runes. Didn't think the demonic boy had paid attention to anything he had said, until Jonathan referenced the mission and in his anemic state understands he must have said this was his mission at some point. The same mission as Jonathan, only Jonathan does not have the angel blood to do it.

Alec reached up to the last rune. Swiped the blade across his arm. Again. Several other marks had already formed crisscrossing in bright red patterns that oozed blood slowly. Hated the appearance of them as it made him look weak.

Alec felt his parabati rune begin to heat up in warning. A warning that he is testing the limits of his own body and that even from this distance Jace might notice that something is wrong, that Alec is not in the Institute, not at Magnus's loft, not even in the realm.

A hand gripped his arm and Jonathan moved it across the rune for him. Alec slowly opened his heavy eyes to watch as Jonathan moved his arm for him and slices into his arm again, more deeply than Alec had done and continues to follow the path of the rune.

Alec can feel the strength of the souls behind that last rune. He can feel their pain and despair at being trapped here for all eternity, their anger, their hate, their envy. His arm is still moving, still bleeding out onto the rune. The parabati rune at his side is starting to hurt, burn, pulse, screaming at him to not let go. He feels Jonathan lift him up as they climb through the rocks and rubble to reach each point high in the air. His head is starting to feel very heavy.

"Stay awake. You must be awake for the whole thing. Fight for it." Encouraging words from the least likely source, but words Alec accepted eagerly. He concentrated on breathing on holding his eyes open as Jonathan moved his body around like a rag doll over the last rune. Finally, finally it is complete. All forty feet of it soaked in Alec's blood. And all Alec can think about is not freeing Magnus but of Jace and how his parabati rune is on fire.

A deep explosion under the dirt and the rock before them crumbled, the souls came pouring out. White streaks flare past, screaming and crying. Some of the souls crashed into the ground near them and wink out almost instantly, the bulk of the souls a beacon shooting straight into the sky like white lightning. The sounds of the screaming souls deafening, through it all Alec hears Jonathan screaming something about Lilith coming but he is too exhausted to move, breathing had become painful now.

Arms wrapped around him under his shoulders and picked Alec up, hauling his body along the ground, rock cutting into his legs, bright white light engulfs them. Jonathan dragged him through the souls towards some source they are all pouring from.

"Use it! Use it!" Jonathan frantically shouted.

_Use what?_

Alec wanted to ask but he is drained, throat parched. He cracked his eyes open, which open wider when he realizes abruptly Lilith is standing before them. But it is not just Lilith, Asmodeus is there as well. Both demons look terrified and furious. Alec watched as they brought their arms up red magic coiling around their hands, watched as it turns black and rushes in a torrential wave towards him and Jonathan.

Jonathan dumped him into a pool of something bright. He gasped on it, inhaled it and realized its power. Power to destroy everything demonic.

_This is what he meant._

Alec reached into that well, felt the souls recognize his angel blood, respond, and flings it back at the two greater demons. He distantly observed as the blast annihilates their red magic and vaporizes them. Their demonic magic suddenly let loose from its bounds comes hurtling towards him and Jonathan impaling them both as it sought to destroy all the souls they stood within, including their own.

Fire and pain. Pain and darkness. Dark and cold. Cold and light. Light. A pinprick of light and Alec dives for it with everything he has. Throwing his whole self and soul into reaching that pinprick of light because it is screaming for him. Yelling his name. Begging for his soul to reach it. And he follows that call, rushes towards it with everything he has. Only to feel the darkness behind him surge up and come crashing down upon him slicing through his body and soul.

Alec screamed.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jace woke up screaming. His whole body felt like it is on fire. His stomach felt like it is about to heave up everything he ate in the last day. He threw himself from the bed, crashing into the floor on his side and vomited up most of last night's dinner. He vaguely heard Clary scramble off the bed jostled awake from his thrashing and perfect exit of their bed.

"Jace! Shit! Let me get a towel." Jace puked again, the pain not receding and his whole body burning.

"Maybe a bucket." He heard her say. He attempted to get up to make it to the bathroom, discovered he does not have the energy and just ends up sick again.

_Yup, stellar sexy man over here. Just puking my guts up. What the fuck is wrong?_

Clary returned with a bucket, towels, water, and her stele. She quickly started to draw an iratze only to stop.

"Jace, its red." Clary warned in concern.

Ice cold dread went down his back. Red meant infection. Red meant demon.

"Least we know why I am sick. Thought it was something I ate." He tried to joke. Clary just frowned and called Isabelle on her phone to come to Jace's room with someone from the infirmary to help them get Jace there. Jace laid there trying to curtail the burning, spinning, awful pain he was feeling. He managed to take stock of his body, his focus traveled to his parabati rune. The pain was mostly centered on the rune and he yanked his shirt up to confirm it was still etched on his skin. The black parabati rune stood stark against his skin, which appeared unnaturally pale at the moment, while the skin directly around the rune appeared blistered and red.

"Alec." Terror. The pain he was feeling was not because he was sick it was secondhand. Alec. Alec was feeling that pain, that burning.

"Alec." he said again because he cannot seem to say anything else. Kept repeating Alec's name over and over again as Isabelle and the nurse arrived to take him to the infirmary.

"What happened!?" Izzy questioned franticly, her face etched in concern as she and the nurse lifted him onto a stretcher. The nurse washed his arm with a small pad and Jace feels a slight pinch as a needle was jabbed into his arm, followed by a cool feeling starting from the needle and working its way up his arm. An IV.

"It's Alec." Jace sobbed out again, trying to get them to understand. It was not him that they needed to be caring for. "Please get to Alec. Alec. Alec was at Magnus's. Alec was doing research. Alec…"

"I need you to take a breath and calm down." It's the nurse. He glared at her feeling his ire rise from being told what to do, when they clearly do not understand.

"My job right now is to care for you. Your parabati will be called and checked on." The nurse informed him gentle but stern.

"I'll go." Interjected Izzy and the relief Jace felt from knowing finally, finally someone was going to check on Alec made him lay back suddenly drained with bone weary exhaustion. The pain that had woken him and annihilated his ability to function was starting to fade to a more manageable level seated right inside his parabati rune. Pulsing, hot, quivering with some energy he cannot identify and was to weary to attempt.

"Take Clary with you." Jace ordered weaker than he expected.

"No, I'm staying here with you! We have no idea what just happened and with all you have been through these last months. I'm not leaving." Clary stated firmly convinced in her own authority on what Jace really needed.

Izzy started to head out the door, clearly going to check on her brother's status at Magnus's, phone in hand. "Mom..." Jace heard her say as she exited.

_Good. Least someone listens._

Maryse had been with Alec last night as he searched book after book for a way to release Magnus.

_I should have been with him. He needed me._

Jace glanced over at Clary, guilt and anger formed low in his gut. Guilt that he had chosen Clary once again over his own parabati. Angry that Clary did not listen to him.

_Alec was right._

His side pulsed with the thought. Burned again and Jace finally looked down at it again. Red blood coated the rune. It was oozing blood. Jace struggled to recall what Alec had told him when he had died and was brought back by the Angel. The rune disappeared right? He never said anything about it bleeding and this much pain.

_He's dead._

Pulse. Burn. Pulse.

"Jace, I'm contacting the Silent Brothers. When a parabati dies the rune should disappear not bleed." the nurse stated and Jace hated her for it. That pulse he felt was another heartbeat, another soul. It had to be.

_He is NOT dead!_

Tears that had been threatening to fall since he first fell out of bed are now sliding down his face in wet, hot trails. Jace gasped, trying to hold himself together as the nurse leaves. He let out a ragged breath, a choked sob, and Clary was sliding her arms around him holding him. He tensed, throwing his head back and tried to shake her off screaming a loud, primal sound of grief. He felt gutted and Clary tried to hold onto him as he sobbed against the pain. He vaguely heard Clary trying to soothe him. His hand held over his bleeding rune, begging in his mind for Alec's soul to find him, to reach him, to be alive. The bed jostled as he was taken to the infirmary. Eventually, he fell asleep in Clary's arms.

_Be alive. _

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jace was shaken awake a few hours later. Blearily opening his eyes, noting black hair not red before registering Izzy staring at him with a hand on his shoulder, feeling hope bloom in his chest before he registered her face. Her face was pale, streaked with tears, and she appeared shaky. Maryse was also in the room with them. No Clary. A sick feeling filled his stomach, churning with dread.

"Where's Alec?" Jace asked cautiously.

"We don't know. Jace, I think he went to Edom alone to get Magnus back." Izzy shakily sounding like she has been crying for hours already. He looked to Maryse. Anger exploded in his gut. Anger that she did not protect her own son. Fear chased the anger. Alec was injured or worse.

_Where were you?_

Jace ignored that internal voice reprimanding himself.

"You were with him, weren't you!?" Jace screamed, anger won. His fear for where Alec was left him barely able to focus on anything but trying and failing to track him. He closed his eyes and tried again. Nothing but a pleasant warmth that also feels brittle and cold, two feelings wrapped in one and he feels his head swim as he tried to track Alec again.

Maryse grasped his hand in hers.

"Jace, stop. I was with Alec last night when he was researching on how to release Magnus from Edom. He found something. A rune within Edom that holds all the souls the demons there have ever captured. He wanted to release them. It was supposed to destroy Edom thus releasing Magnus." She paused, choking back a sob for her eldest and pushed on. "I told him to get some rest and that we would discuss it in the morning. When Izzy called me I knew what he had done. He had gone alone to find Magnus."

Jace pulled away.

_No! No. No. No._

"It worked." Izzy sounded tearfully proud of her brother in that moment.

"How do you know?" challenged Jace, disbelieving.

Izzy reached out taking his hand in hers. "Last night around the same time you had your...attack. Our sensors picked up a massive influx of souls. Jace it was immense. Large enough that some mundanes could see it. Both Simon and Lucian called thinking it was an attack and wanted to notify us. Simon said it was just a giant pillar of light traveling from the ground to the sky. Idris is sending envoys over to ensure the two points the souls traveled through are closed now."

Jace looked at Izzy as she spoke. What she was saying made sense. Simon would have certainly wanted to inform them of any attacks. He was dating Izzy and his best friend was Clary. He was caring to an annoying fault, devoid of being selfish and would throw himself into any danger his friends would need.

"If it worked then where are Magnus and Alec?" Jace questioned, looking between Maryse and Isabelle. His attention becoming side-tracked when the nurse walked in with a silent brother trailing behind, long robes of grey wrapped around him, blue dyed hair, and no stitches over his face or over his eyes. He smiled at Jace.

_That is NOT a silent brother._

"I am Brother Zachariah. I am here to examine your parabati bond, if intact or broken." The silent brother's voice echoed inside Jace's head. If it was corrupted by something new was left unsaid. The silent brother reached a hand out towards Jace's side. His side remained covered in bandages that were soaked with blood and whatever gel the nurse had applied to it before giving him some medicine to knock him out for a few hours earlier.

Anxiety spiked through him at seeing the hand. Suddenly, fearful that perhaps there was something to fear in his and Alec's bond. Alec used to have a crush on him prior to meeting Magnus. That was ages ago. No, he loved Alec but he knew, knew the bond was never corrupted. The hand landed on his side and he bit his lip to keep from screaming at the pain, jolting in the bed in an attempt to escape. The silent brother seemed unmoved by his brief, embarrassing display of weakness. Jace could feel Izzy and Maryse watching him carefully. Maryse with concern etched on her face. Izzy looked more agitated and confused by his response.

Jace felt a shiver of angelic power emit from the silent brother toward his parabati rune. Felt as it touched the rune ever so gently, a soft caress surprising him as if the silent brother understood how two souls linked would itch to throw the intruder out. As it was that brief touch was enough for Jace to feel Alec's side of the bond push at the silent brother swiftly throwing the tendril of angelic power out of the rune, it had all taken less than a second.

_Alec. I felt him. He's alive._

Relief.

"Your parabati appears to be alive. But he has been exposed to a great deal of dark magic. The bond is unbroken, it is not corrupted." The silent brother turned his eyes to meet Jace's as he spoke, there was a sadness for him that spoke of a deeper understanding.

"_But there is something wrong_." The Silent Brother spoke directly to Jace's mind. His heart froze, then resumed its frantic beating.

"If nothing is wrong why is he in pain?" Maryse's confused, sharp voice pierced Jace's brain like a bullet.

_He only told me that something is wrong._

Jace found himself examining this silent brother. He was unlike any silent brother he had ever met. Bright blue black hair, spiked into some new edgy design, face relaxed, soft smile fixed firmly in place. The silent brother lifted his hand away from Jace's rune and dropped it to his side, turning to Izzy and Maryse.

"He will recover with time. Give him plenty of sunlight and water and ensure he does not leave the Institute for at least two weeks." The Silent Brother intoned through their heads.

"Hey! I'm not a plant!" Jace cried affronted, his dignity was on the line.

Izzy smiled at that, taking up the space that the silent brother had stood in a moment ago, arms coming up to wrap around his shoulders in a hug. Jace leaned into it, finding that he was craving comfort a bit more than usual since his graceful fall out of his bed earlier.

"I'm glad you are going to be ok." Izzy tightened her hold on him for a moment before leaning back. "No way am I allowing you to vanish on me again."

_You and me both_.

Jace glanced towards Maryse. Her lips were in a thin line, unbelieving of the status the silent brother had given on Jace's parabati rune.

_Makes three of us._

"Why don't you and Izzy take some food out to the internal courtyard for the rest of the day, I will be calling in some favors to see if we cannot locate Alec or Magnus." Commanded Maryse.

_Hasn't lost her drive to finish a problem._

"Yeah sounds like a good idea." Jace moved to sit up slowly, grimacing when his rune scrapped against the bandages. Seriously, how can something so small cause so much pain?

"Do either of you have anything Max could use to track them with?" Maryse questioned heading towards the door with the Silent Brother.

_Max was here!?_

"Um...just use anything at Magnus's wouldn't that count? As for Alec, he has an old t-shirt looks kind of green and black that he always wears. Use that." Jace said as he pulled a shirt over his head first. He knew it was Alec's favorite and probably oldest piece of clothing he owned, which would make tracking him with it easier. Jace glanced over at Maryse to verify she understood. He received a blank, you can do better than that look instead.

"A shirt?" Maryse deadpanned.

_Not like he owns much here. The institute always took priority over anything._

Jace closed his eyes thinking. "Er, maybe use the blade I gave him for one of his birthdays. Silver with arrows inlaid on the sides and angelic runes on the hilt, he would not have been able to take that one to Edom anyway." A smile and a nod and Maryse turned and walked out.

_Love you too, mom._

Jace grabbed his underwear and pants, gave Izzy a short look to which she turned around and finished getting dressed.

_Time to go be a plant._

"Let's go be plants together." chuckled Izzy as she wheeled over a black shiny chair with wheels, armrests, and a buckle on it for him to sit in. Jace glared at it like it would physically hurt him if he so much as got near it.

"I'm not sitting in that."

-o-o-o-o-o-

A few minutes later found Jace being pushed down the hallway in said chair pouting while Izzy skipped along behind with her hands controlling where he went. He crossed his arms and huffed, hoping she would understand just how much this was degrading and beneath him.

_Least it's only shadowhunters here and no one else._

"Izzy!"

_Fuck. Simon._

Simon came running up to them out of breath, geeky t-shirt and jeans one size to big, skidding to a stop in front of Izzy.

_Still not used to being a vampire._

"Hey are you ok?" Simon glanced at Jace with real concern in his brown eyes, brows creased and a small frown.

"Fine." Jace bit out glaring at the vampire in a challenge.

"We're going out to the courtyard for lunch and some sunlight. Want to join us?" chimed in Izzy.

_No we do not want him to join us._

"Of course!" Simon said brightly.

_Love-sick fool._

Which was how Jace found himself outside with Simon and Izzy eating a decent meal and guzzling water like he had been running the length of the Sahara desert.

"So, um, what happened exactly?" Simon asked, his eyes flitted between the two of them back and forth waiting for an answer.

Jace closed his eyes, trying once again to search out Alec only to find a calming warmth now followed by a cold spike of brittle pain and then nothing. He opened his eyes and glared at his water bottle like it was the waters fault he could not track his own parabati correctly.

"We are not really sure yet. We know Alec tried to get Magnus back and that he is now missing." Izzy said. She gave Jace a quick glance, concern held there before looking back to Simon. "If I know my brother he went to Edom with a plan. He never does anything without a plan. We know he is alive. We do not know where he or Magnus are located right now. Mom is having Max track them now."

"Isn't Max like twelve? I thought you had to be a full shadowhunter to do missions?" Simon's question had some merits but he did not know just how good Max was turning out to be as a tracker and shadowhunter. There was apparently very little Max could not track and he did not need much to go on to track anything to begin with. It was a rather rare skill to track that well.

"Max is a full shadowhunter. He has his angelic rune and tracked Jonathan when no one else could. I think mom has the right idea. If anyone can find my brother it is him." Izzy sounded like Maryse then, all conviction and strong belief that they could find them.

Pulse, Burn, Pulse.

Jace put his hand over the bandage. He did not want to be here. He wanted to be far away from here. Far, far away, to where ever Alec had gone.

_Where you go. I will follow._

Only he could not follow him this time. Whatever path Alec had chosen, Jace had deemed unworthy of his own time and energy. He had done so to many times that Alec had not even bothered to ask for his help anymore, instead headed into Edom without even requesting Jace's presence. How had the bond survived whatever the hell happened when they were incredibly distant. Jace engrossed with Clary and his own problems, Alec with Magnus and the Institute.

Izzy's phone rang. She picked it up from the picnic cloth and swiped "Mom?" A pause as she listened. "Yeah, yes, we are on our way. Simon is with us." She hung up and looked at the two of them a smile growing.

"Max tracked Magnus!" Izzy smiled.

_Why not Alec!_

Jace bit back the immediate retort, clenched his jaw shut with effort. Started instead to gather up their things that he could reach without putting any undue pressure on his side. Simon started helping as well, glancing at Jace with that same concern Izzy had given him earlier.

_Get a grip._

"Look Simon. I'm fine. I know Alec. Izzy is right. Alec would have gone in with a plan to get Magnus out." Jace said as confidently as he could.

_Please have gone in with a plan. A real plan._

Simon just gave him a sadder look, one that made him wonder what the hell he was thinking in that vampire brain of his. Jace decided he actually did not want to know whatever sympathy Simon had concocted for him and turned to Izzy so they could head to the ops center.

"I'm sorry." Simon blurted out.

_Huh?_

Jace turned his head back to look at Simon again, waiting for him to explain. He tried shoving his concern for Alec away from his face so he would not look so pathetic, hoped he appeared a bit like himself, strong and self-assured. Jace attempted to plaster that on his face.

"I said a long time ago that you and Alec never had each other's backs. And well seeing what the rune does to you when you when the other gets hurt. You are kind of forced to have each other's backs, right? Kind of like a brothers in arms or Jedi force brothers."

_We don't._

That thought stung. Jace pulled a smiled, was not quite sure if it ended up being a grimace or a smile and plopped himself in the stupid chair of shame. Izzy patted him on the shoulder as if what Simon had just said held true and started to wheel him inside.

Izzy parked him near the ops table and he noticed her blinking back tears even as she smoothly sat down in her seat. While she had been putting up a brave front all this time, her worry for her brother ran just as deep as Jace's and Jace felt stupid for not acknowledging that when they were in the courtyard now. He reached out a hand to her, Izzy took it and gave his hand a small squeeze before they both dropped their arms again to focus on Maryse and Max, both of whom seem to be waiting for someone.

Jace glanced at the others at the table. Clary, check, Izzy, himself, Max, check, check, check, Simon, tagalong check, Lydia, that's new, Clave wasted no time in getting Alec's temporary replacement here, check, who were they waiting on. Jace did not have to wait long. Magnus came striding down the corridor towards them. Wearing a black embroidered shirt that had silver etched through the sleeves and silver buttons, hair spiked, and black pants, looking energized from his time in Edom rather than depressed. Jace felt Magnus's eyes slide to him, do a once over, as Jace's eyes traveled the length of Magnus's body when he got to the top Magnus's was looking at him strangely and with a raised eyebrow. Magnus's eyes were unreadable.

Jace tried not to sink lower in his chair of shame and instead placed his arms on the armrests trying to fill up as much space as possible.

_Stupid chair. There went the rest of my pride._

Stuck in the wheelchair Jace leaned back waiting for Maryse to begin now that Magnus was here. Present and apparently unharmed. Odd.

"I want to begin by saying the good news first." Magnus was the one who started speaking, his voice not betraying anything to what he felt. "Edom is destroyed, Lilith and Asmodeus both appear to be destroyed as well."

"How did you get out?" Jace found himself asking before he really thought it through.

Magnus hesitated just the briefest of fractions. "I escaped because someone with angel blood broke Edom's seals."

"Did you sacrifice Alec for it?" Jace snapped.

_Woah. Where did that come from?_

"Jace, I doubt Magnus would want any harm to come to Alec." Izzy sounded annoyed and hurt that Jace would even consider it. Her arms tightening around herself. Magnus looked perturbed and not a little angry, eyes narrowed on Jace and hand curled up as if about to summon his magic forth. Jace did not realize he had considered it until the words had left his mouth. To late now.

"Alec came to me in Edom. He had the plan in place but did not know where the souls…" a pause, as Magnus swallowed. "Did not know where the souls were located. I wanted to send him back as soon as I could. I was not going to risk him or the souls just to be free of my own decision." Magnus closed his eyes, briefly and Jace wondered what hidden pain he was dealing with right now as well. A part of him did not really care either. "We argued and he only left my sight for a moment." Magnus turned his eyes towards Jace.

Jace suddenly needed to grip the table in front of him, dreading the next words.

"I lost him. When I went after him someone had already taken him." Magnus said, the sorrow in that gaze now made Jace feel uncomfortable. He had no idea how to react to someone who had just lost a lover, a friend, and whatever else Alec was to the warlock, when that loss was due to an attempt to save him. The guilt would be crushing Jace if it was him. How the hell was Magnus still standing, talking even.

_Guess being over a hundred years old teaches you some tricks._

"So who hates Edom enough to burn it to the ground with angelic power?" Before Jace was even through asking the question he already knew the answer, Clary answered for him though.

"Jonathan." she breathed the name, eyes widening in fear. If Jonathan had Alec, then just how much of a chance did he stand? Jonathan had already taken out several institutes and supposedly the Seelie queen as well. Jace's gut twisted into a knot, the kind he couldn't escape from as thoughts of what types of torture one would need to endure to cause his rune to bleed shot through his head. He forced that thought process to stop. It was harder to do than he wanted to admit. Forced himself to focus on Clary and her red hair, bright and strong.

"Max, he said he tracked Jonathan before can we track him again?" Clary demanded to know, green eyes flashing with a barely suppressed need to do something. Jace felt the same but the exhaustion from last night still clung to him like a shroud and for once he was grateful of the stupid chair of shame that Izzy had been carting him around in. At least he did not have to try and remain upright like the rest. He glanced towards Magnus, who sure enough looked to be sagging under an unseen weight.

_We're both grieving._

"Why can't we track Alec?" interjected Jace.

The tense silence that followed filled Jace with another bout of dread. Nausea rising, he was going to be sick again. He felt like that was all he was feeling the last day was dread. His eyes shot to Max. Little Max dressed in a casual shirt and blue jeans, shock of brown hair reaching his neck, who was not quite a child but not quite a man yet. Max shifted on his feet uneasily, could not quite meet Jace's eyes, head down.

"I tried to track him. It's confusing. It kept leading me back to you in the courtyard. There was another pull but I cannot follow it because it's to jumbled up with...you." Max finally said, slowly, like he was afraid of Jace's reaction to this news. Jace stared. Face blank and frozen. Brain refusing to work. Shut down. He was the reason they couldn't track Alec.

_Alec._

"Parabati can always be tracked, this should be simple." Jace unfroze and all but snarled the words at Max. Max took a startled step back, head coming up, and sneering at Jace in anger.

"Then you try tracking him!" Max shouted, eyes flashing, and showing the dark circles under his eyes no kid should have. "I tried alright! I tried for hours! While you lay asleep! I tried when Izzy took you outside in the sun. I tried when mom called you guys here. He's my brother too! And every time I try it doesn't feel right it's like trying to track two people at once!" On the last bit Max started to cry, Jace instantly felt regret for yelling at him. He was his brother as well. Jace had been adopted to their family when Max was still a baby practically.

"Let's try and deal with the problems we know how to address." It was Lydia, the replacement. Jace knew she was kind, understanding, good even, and apparently excellent at her job. But right now he just wanted her gone, she stood where Alec was supposed to stand. But that thought would not help getting Alec back or help anyone in the long run.

"Alright shoot, where do we start." Jace asked leaning forward in his wheelchair.

"You are off duty until _that_ heals" Lydia pointed at his side where the parabati rune was bandaged. "Magnus, Max, and Clary I want you to track Jonathan. I believe the combination of the three of you will boost the tracking to something we can use to actually catch him. Isabelle I need you to figure out a way to make your Malachi contraption work to hold Jonathan, a lot depends on you making that work. Simon can you get any of the vampires to start searching for any trace of demonic activity in your area that seems unusual." Jace was silently impressed, he could see the plan forming. Although he was a little unsure of any help from the vampires but then again Alec had been making leaps and bounds of progress with all the Downworlders lately towards his cabinet idea.

_Useless. He was useless to help._

Jace grabbed the wheels of the chair of shame, spun himself backwards and started to head back to the infirmary. Livid that he could do nothing. Angry at himself that he even needed help over a stupid, burned rune.

_Only it's not stupid. It meant everything._

"Hey, wait up." Simon called.

"What do you want?" clipped Jace in no mood to deal with the vampire.

"Um, to accompany you. And to talk to you. And well, I kind of need advice." The last was said as Simon slowed to a stop beside him, Jace stopped turning the wheels to glance at him. He grabbed the wheels again to move forward.

_Maybe not completely useless._

"What do you need advice on?" Jace drawled knowing how much Simon and he butted heads due to their past with Clary.

"Well, what exactly does demon exiting from hell look like? I mean are we searching for something all black and gooey or a shapeshifter or what?" Simon asked not rising to the silent bait, earnest as only he could be. For the short time Simon had been part of the Shadowworld Jace was still surprised by how little he really knew. Especially, seeing as he was supposed to be part demon now.

"You are the worst vampire." Jace said, half a joke, half serious. Simon flashed a smile, pointed teeth showing just to throw Jace off.

"But your only vampire that can help you out. So by default, the best vampire ever." Smug and proud. Clary rubbed off on him sometimes or Isabelle's confidence.

"Honestly, I am not sure what we are searching for. The last we saw Jonathan he had black wings, hair was red or white, guy kind of stands out, lots of destruction." Jace informed him continuing down the path towards the infirmary.

"What if now that Edom is destroyed he doesn't want to destroy now?" Simon asked casually walking beside him.

_The fuck?_

Jace looked at Simon like the idea was preposterous. Seriously, the guy had been on a constant killing and destruction spree since they met him. Where the hell did Simon even form that farfetched conclusion?

"Well, I mean, Clary told me her brother was trapped in Edom since he was a kid. Hated it down there. Said he only ever cared about her when he discovered her." Simon shrugged like the conclusion was not a big deal, walking slowly beside Jace so he could keep up in the blasted chair of shame. Only it was a big deal. Jonathan's obsession with Clary had resulted in that rune they spent so much time breaking. And when they broke it. Well, that's what got them into this fucked up situation. They needed Magnus and all his magical power from Edom to save their asses. Again. And Alec, being his noble self, went to go fix that sacrifice. There was a connection in there somewhere, Jace knew it. Just could not pin it down. The fact that his brain was forming a circle of connections meant that the vampire may be onto something, perhaps not the right something, but something nonetheless. He pushed the wheelchair forward again and maneuvered it around a turn as Simon followed beside him waiting for him to speak.

"I think you are wrong. I think he still wants to destroy. Maybe Edom was just the start." Jace frowned at this train of thought, something did not add up.

"Yeah but you heard Magnus. You would need angel blood to destroy the runes, to destroy Edom." Simon reminded.

_Angel blood that only one person in Edom would have had at the time._

Jace grabbed the wheels to stop his forward motion and nearly tipped over, Simon reaching out to grab the wheelchair and halt his fall. "You think Alec is with Jonathon?"

_I can get to you._

"Yeah sort of. It made more sense in my head. But now not really. I mean how big would those runes need to be to power a bunch of souls powering Edom. How would they have even broken them?" Simon responded a little nervously.

_Pointless questions._

"The real question is where they would go once that blast of souls ended. They must have survived because my rune is still there." Jace lifted his shirt and peeled the bandage back just to ensure the parabati rune was still there. It looked a little healthier. The blisters had faded but the ugly red around it remained. Simon leaned over him to get a better look. Jace elbowed him in the side rather harshly to back off, the vampire barely acknowledges the hit.

"Shit. That looks and smells horrible." Simon said taking a step back from Jace, nose wrinkled in distaste.

"So glad I smell like dinner to you." Jace snarked back.

"No I mean, it smells like you got blasted with a lightning bolt or electrocuted. Also you smell terrible. All that angel blood with..." Simon trailed off waving his hand at Jace's side like that is supposed to sum up whatever it is he is trying to convey. Jace raised an eyebrow and cocked his head at Simon's eloquent description of whatever the hell happened to him.

_Electrocuted?_

Jace glanced down at his side again, examined the rune, angry red around it and the rest of his skin smooth and flawless. The rest of his runes untouched by whatever had plagued him last night.

"I do think you are right that Alec is with Jonathan in some way. Prisoner maybe. He is alive for some reason. Jonathan would not keep him around except to be used later." Jace directed his gaze back up at Simon and covered the rune with the bandages again. "As for what to look for, go with your gut. Always works for me."

Simon smiled a genuine smile, clapping Jace on the back. "We will find them both. Take Jonathan out and get Alec back. You'll see."

Jace wished he could believe him. Because wherever Alec really was according to their rune, it was really not a good place. He rolled the chair of shame the rest of the way to the infirmary ignoring the looks from other shadowhunters at their greatest warrior stuck in a wheelchair with no visible wounds.

_Something is wrong with the bond._

The thought brought him back to what the Silent Brother had told only him earlier. There was something wrong and whatever it was, was dangerous enough for a silent brother to want to hide it.

_Fuck. Alec what did you do._

Jace parked the wheelchair near the bed and hoisted himself up on the bed. At least moving seemed to be getting easier as the day progressed, he went to lay down.

"Why aren't you outside?" The nurse demanded scowling and rushing towards him.

_Really? I just want to rest._

"Go outside. Do whatever you wanted to do in here out there." Jace sighed, dragging himself back off the bed and back into wheels of shame. Wheeled his way back outside to where he, Izzy, and Simon had their picnic and flopped down on the grass. Turning over to stare up at the clear sky. Sun shining down brightly, a clear day devoid of clouds. The complete opposite of how he had felt since everything exploded.

_Literally._

Jace ran a hand over the parabati rune, feeling a small pulse of warmth, for once no pain, just a calm exhaustion. The fight finally dragged out of him and Jace fell asleep staring up at the sky.

When he came to it was night and Clary was beside him with her notepad, drawing. A blanket had been placed over him at some point. He felt weak for it, everyone else had jobs and all his job was to go rest. Well he rested.

"Hey you." Clary said giving him a soft smile, looking down at him. Her fiery red hair looked maroon in the darkness. She looked beautiful and Jace wanted to kiss her for it. Jace sat up.

"Hey. How long have you been here? Did you track Jonathan?" Jace questioned.

Clary looked away, closing her sketchbook.

_Not again._

"Max says there is something wrong again. He is losing confidence in his ability to track these two and insisted on taking a break. His definition of break was to track other stuff throughout the whole institute. We found everything he wanted to challenge himself with. Including Magnus deciding to play hide and seek." Jace kind of wishes he had been awake to watch that. High Warlock of Brooklyn playing hide-and-seek with a kid, even if it was more for training purposes.

"So what's wrong?" Jace pressed.

"He says he doesn't feel demonic when he tracks him now, just like another shadowhunter. It's strange. Something happened to Jonathan to change the signature." Clary explained.

Max could make out the difference between Jonathan before and after the destruction of Edom.

_Impressive._

"So why aren't we tracking that?" Jace demanded more than a little irritated that she did not explain why they could not track Alec.

"We did." She looked up at the sky and kept her face turned away from him as she said it, but reached out to hold his hand anyway.

_God, what did you find?_

"Jace, Jonathan and Alec were found together. There are marks of demonic runes all over Alec. We lost two people just on reconnaissance. Jace, Alec killed them. Jonathan pulled him back and they escaped." So many questions flashed through Jace's mind at that, too many to even begin to settle on one, except his brain did anyway.

_Demonic runes on BOTH of them._

"How did you know Alec had runes like that on him?" Jace could not say it.

_Demonic._

"He was mostly naked." Clary said not looking at him, face covered in a blush. She must have been there then, witnessed the destruction Alec, not Jonathan wrought.

"Well, I rested. What's the plan?" Jace needed to fix this somehow. That was his parabati out there and with the Clave envoy probably here by now looking over the souls entry and exit points, having a shadowhunter running around with demonic runes really did not bode well for anyone.

"Izzy is reconfiguring her weapon to house both Alec and Jonathan. Magnus is helping her." Clary explained finally looking at Jace again.

"Good, let's go train. I need to do something and if I have to ram a sword through someone to do it, I need to be ready for it." Jace said restless energy forcing him to move.

_Just don't let it be Alec._

-o-o-oo-o-o-o-o-

Clary and Jace reached the training room together. It was empty. The room darkened for the night, runes spread evenly across the floor. The archery stands were far in the back, the punching bag was closest to him and he moved to it. The room he and Alec used to train in since they were little. The first punch sends a jolt of pain down his arm.

_Good._

Jace punched again harder. Punched again. And again. Until he was breathing heavily, tears were starting to form in his eyes. Clary had been doing her own warmup off to the side but he could feel her observing him carefully. He blinked to clear his eyes. Taking a breath, slow in and out, to appear normal, shoving everything to the back of his head. Jace turned to look over at Clary.

"Ready to get your ass whipped?" Jace asked all cocky and self-assured.

Clary smiled. "You'll be surprised how good I've gotten." Clary tossed back walking over to grab two kindjals, while Jace moved to grab a sword to practice with. They circle each other first. But Jace had become wound up and tense with doing nothing the last day or two, he was not really sure anymore. It was all blurred together. He charged at Clary instead, sprinting as fast as he can at her. Jace can spot the surprise in her face, raising her kindjals up before her in a defensive stance. Jace buckled his knees and slid past, neatly tapping her legs with his sword. He smirked, it turned into a full blown grin as Clary whirled around fuming at herself that she missed such a large opportunity and left herself open.

"Getting better, huh?" Jace taunted.

She growled in response.

"Again." Jace called.

She faced off with him again. One foot slightly behind her, the other slightly forward, hips turned towards him, her eyes tracking his movements.

Jace took a side approach this time, swiping at her with the sword, allowing her a chance to lock their weapons together. Jace felt the jolt through his arms as the metal clashed together.

Clary grinned wickedly at him, thinking she had an upper hand. She brought her free arm up to stab at him. Jace slid to the side disengaging his blade from her kindjals, leaping out of the way just as her free arm whips through where he had been standing a moment ago.

Jace did not wait for her to get prepared, just whirled into her and slammed the sword into her face. For a moment, Jace paniced thinking he hit her to hard, which he probably did. But Clary took her blades and tried to slam them towards his ribs. Jace hopped backwards on his feet, bouncing lightly, before switching stances again, prowling towards her, close enough to be just out of reach.

"Have to keep your opponent confused. And you Clary need to do better." Jace gently reprimanded her, poised for the next attack. She lunged at him swiping at his front with her weapon. He took another step back, leaning just slightly, easily dodging the attack. Her balance was off because of the lunge and he lifted a foot up and shoved her backwards to sprawl on her back. Jace leapt on top of her, pinning her to the ground, straddling her hips, one leg on each side, arm raised with the sword in his hand. She was out of breath. Jace felt barely winded, energy coursing through him, his practice sword pointed at her throat.

_Always miss this feeling in a fight. The adrenaline._

"I am getting better. You are just being harder on me." Clary informed him with a smile.

She dropped her kindjals and tapped out. But she was smiling and leaning up to kiss him.

Jace felt an unexplainable urge to run from that kiss, pull back, turn away, his brain sending signals of flee so strong he gasped on it. Confused by it. Jace jerked his head to the side so she ended up kissing his cheek instead, bowing his head down to her shoulder trying to figure out what just happened. He has always enjoyed kissing Clary. He's in love with her, he thinks. His rune was burning again, pulsing angrily against his side. Jace rolled off Clary to check it.

"Not you, I think I tore the skin or something." Jace panted. _Now_ he feels winded just from trying to avoid a kiss.

She was watching him, concern and confusion and more than a little hurt. She knew him well enough that he would not normally turn away from a kiss because of pain. Eyes downcast, she picked herself up off the floor, picked up her weapons, and carried them over to their stand.

_Say something._

The silence was suffocating. More so, because Jace had no idea what made him react that way. He thought of kissing her again, walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her.

"Let me know when you feel better." Clary bitterly cut across his thoughts suddenly. "You did just get out of the infirmary. You _are_ released from the infirmary, right?"

Jace tossed her a lopsided grin. Frankly, he is not really sure he was released or not and does not want to face the wrath of the nurse that has been assigned him.

"Yes. Of course I am. Just need some rest and I'll be good to go." Jace informed her. It is not quite a lie, really he does feel ten times better than he did before his little nap. "Besides there is some footage I want to view before we go catch Jonathan."

_Catch Alec._

The two headed down to the ops center, where it was still fairly busy for the middle of the night. Apparently Lydia felt that they needed to be on high alert for Jonathan, that or Alec had some contingency plan laid out in an event like this. Jace vaguely wondered which reason it was.

Jace plopped down in a chair near the computers hitting the keyboard as Clary took a seat beside him.

"What footage are we searching?" Clary asked.

"Every street near the souls ejection point and then I want to view the mission when you guys went and tracked Jonathan earlier." Jace was worried about watching that mission. Clary had said Alec killed. Which meant one, Alec was in fighting condition. Two, his parabati clearly needed his help.

_Why aren't you reaching out to me?_

"You said Max was having trouble tracking due to complications with both Jonathan and Alec. May as well try and give him a place to start." Jace continued.

They combed through all the footage of the souls exiting Edom, which on their screens looked like a giant white blast through the ground. Bright, white light crackling up to the sky like lightning, a red glow on the ground where is started. Logically, Jace knew others were going over this same footage but he wanted to search for one form in particular. He knew he would recognize it. He hoped. Yet after going through several camera angles and nearly 3:00 in the morning Jace was starting to wonder if he was right in his assessment of himself and spotting Alec. Clary had long since fallen asleep in her chair and Jace was reluctant to carry her to bed. Mostly, because he did not want to fall asleep again. His parabati was out there, clearly in danger and he could not find him. Jace hit pause on the current video of bright, electric light he was watching and reached down to his parabati rune. He reached for Alec again, finding that same warm, contentment, quickly followed by icy, razor edges, before the connection just stopped.

_Confusing as hell._

Nothing made sense with how the bond was acting. Unless it was one of those demon runes Clary had mentioned. But that should have severely injured Alec, not made him capable of fighting, let alone killing two shadowhunters.

He hit play again staring at the screen, movement in the far corner of the screen caught his eye. Two humanoid forms. One was dragging the other slowly away from the blaze of souls, crawling really.

_That has to be them._

"Clary!" He grabbed her arm and shook her hard. "Clary! I think I found them!"

"Wha?" She groggily opened her eyes, blinking at him a couple times, red hair sticking in all directions.

"I think I found them." Jace excitedly told her. Now she was fully awake, scrambling to sit upright in her chair nearly falling over in the process.

"Where?" Clary demanded.

"Here." Jace pointed and hit play on the video again and pointed at the two forms on the screen. "If we can get Max and Magnus close enough to that location maybe he can see what is really blocking him from tracking them. This would have been their first steps onto this plane again. Come on lets go wake them up." Excitement was bubbling up in him, hope that maybe he could get to Alec in time.

"Jace. It's three in the morning. Jonathan hasn't killed Alec yet. It's already been over a day. If he was going to, he would have done so already. Also whatever happened in Edom, they were working together." she pointed back to the screen. "They were dragging each other out of the line of danger."

Jace's eyes flared wide, fist bunching up, the surge of unchecked anger through him was something he had never felt towards Clary. Ever.

"You don't want to help me get my parabati back." Jace hissed, but forced his hands to relax, he was not going to hit Clary. Clary brought her hands up in surrender, but he could see the fire in her eyes. She was ready for a fight.

"Jace that's not what I said. I said let's wait until morning. Then we..."

"No. I dropped everything for you, for your mom, when you first came into the Shadowworld. I was always there for you as much as I could be. You were always there for me every step of the way. But my parabati is asking too much?" Jace realized he was shaking in anger. He looked away from Clary because looking at her bright red hair and green eyes was just making him furious right now.

"Jace, we'll get him back. I promise. We'll wake everyone up at 6:00. It's just three hours away. Come on, you found something. Let's go get some rest." Clary's calm logical approach sounded right. It was only three hours, but everything inside Jace itched to start now. To get to Alec, now. Because while the blistering pain had abated, what was left in its wake was just as confusing. He had not been able to fully think without part of himself checking the bond, physically looking at it each time he thought no one was looking at him to make sure the black symbol was still on his side. He checked it now and felt the same thing he had the last time.

"No. He is Max's brother. He would want to be woken up for this. And Magnus, Magnus just lost Alec to who knows what. I'm not sure how immortals work with grief but he has to feel something." Jace insisted hitting save on the file location.

"And you?" Clary urged looking up at him.

_Fuck. Not going to try and understand that particular mess right now._

"Jace, it's ok to feel something. Fear even, but we need rest." Her hands were still up in surrender but she was bringing them towards him. Jace balked at the idea of touching someone right now.

_It's just Clary._

He tried to reign in whatever it was that he was feeling, standing up from his chair quickly.

_Definitely, not running away._

"Come on let's just get some rest, rather than argue." Jace said to cover his strange restless nerves.

"Ok." she smiled at him sweetly. His stomach turned over instead of the usual warm feeling from Clary's looks. She took his hand and he almost did not let her and lead him back to his, their, room. His feet felt heavier with each step closer, the urge to pull back became overwhelming.

_I can't._

"Clary." Jace stopped at the entrance to his room, feet glued to the floor.

She glanced back at him, inquisitive green eyes piercing him.

He wondered if she could sense that he did not want her there. That something vital had shifted in him and until he got that back he could not have her in his room. "I can't."

She looked confused for a moment, before stepping towards him, into his personal space. Her hand came up to stroke his face and he broke out in a cold sweat.

"I can't. Not tonight. Maybe you should sleep in your room tonight. I don't want to wake you again if I get sick." Jace used the guilt card, he knew her caring soul would do as he asked. But he just could not touch her right now. Everything still felt off. His soul was damaged, a Silent Brother would not even announce the damage to his own family, and Jace was pretty sure that particular Silent Brother was not telling anyone else. Otherwise, the Clave would have already been down here poking and prodding at him like a lab rat at best, him dead at worst.

"Ok. Come get me if you need anything or call my phone." She continued to stroke his face and he wanted to rip it off his skin. He could tell she would rather stay there, but respected him enough to grant his wish for tonight. She leaned in to give him a kiss, but something she saw on his face made her pause. Instead she drew him into a hug that Jace let her have.

_Get off me._

Finally she left for her room. Thankful she did not actually kiss him, but he found himself missing the closeness they usually shared as soon as she left his sight. He collapsed on his bed. He had not even been awake that long.

_Well you did skip a meal or two today._

Jace closed his eyes and willed sleep to come.

O –o – o – o - O

Golden haze surrounded him, thinning out in sections, thickening in others turning dark in one part.

_Strange._

Jace took a couple steps through the golden mist, watched as it swirled around him instead. Wrapping around his body in tendrils and thicker ropes of gold. He searched the golden mist for some point of reference. Which was really just that darker, black spot far in the distance. A dark spot that he realized was Alec.

Jace stumbled towards him as the golden mist suddenly seemed more difficult to push through.

"Alec!"

"Knew you'd find me." Alec's whole body was glowing the same faint golden color as the mist.

Jace tried to touch him but discovered he could not move enough to do so.

"Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you…" Alec held out his right arm to Jace as they had during the original parabati ceremony.

_Not quite the same words._

"Where you go I will go..." Jace told him, smiling, renewed that he had Alec near him.

Jace reached up his arm to grasp Alec's this time he could, but when he looked down at their joined arms his smile vanished. Alec's entire arm was blackened with streaks of black following his veins, traveling up his arm.

Alec looked at him.

His eyes were demonic black.

"Alec!"

"The one who sins…"

-o-o-o-o-o-

"_The one who sins…"_

Jace jolted upright in his bed, pulse driving his blood faster and faster through his head, sweat dripped down his spine in a wet, sticky trail, body still tense as if he had just come off a mission.

Jace fumbled and rolled towards the side of his bed, hand reaching out to grab the clock sitting on the nightstand, still trying to blink the dream from his eyes.

5:00am

Jace breathed a sigh of relief. "Good still have time."

Two hours of sleep wasn't much, but it left him enough time to check with the nurse and get the go ahead to go on missions again.

_It had been 24-48-36 hours since..._

He really did need to find out what day he was on again. The disassociation was starting to get to him. He covered his face with both hands, running them down his cheeks, trying to wipe away the remnants of sleep.

_Strange dream._

He did not normally dream about his parabati, but then again his entire focus had been on him lately. He still felt exhausted. He wanted to drop back into his bed, pull the covers over and try for a better dream. One with Clary or another past girl.

_Crap. Don't have time for this._

Jace pushed himself onto his feet, grabbed the nearest pair of pants, hoped they were clean enough, tossed on a grey sweatshirt, black combat boots, and grabbed his stele. A pause. He walked back over to his closet and rummaged around in it until he found what he wanted. A blue cord. He removed the Herondale ring off its usual chain and put it on the blue cord instead, putting it back over his head when he was done.

_Izzy will probably need another hour of sleep._

She had been working on their main mechanism to entrap Jonathan and now Alec since the meeting yesterday. However, knowing Izzy she kept a lot of her stuff in Alec's room as well. Even when it was frowned on by her parents she always would leave clothes, jewelry, and makeup in her brother's room. Now with Magnus in the picture Jace had a feeling the makeup bit had gotten worse.

_Perfect._

Jace wandered down to Alec's room, pushed the heavy oak door open, and slipped inside to search for what he needed.

_Damnit. Why is he here?_

Jace froze as soon as he had entered the room. Magnus lay there asleep, surprisingly without makeup on, sprawled beneath the covers, arms and legs thrashed at odd angles. Jace doubted he had slept peacefully since returning from Edom. Now all Jace felt was a strange awkwardness to have just walked in unannounced.

_Didn't really expect anyone in here._

He debated about glamouring himself to be invisible. Scoffed.

_Right, cause THAT would work with the High Warlock of Brooklyn._

Instead he tried to walk carefully and quietly over to the dresser which had accumulated most of Izzy's makeup. The trek was made easy with no clothing, weapons, or backpacks to impede his way, unlike his own room.

_Thank the Angel, Alec keeps a clean room._

Upon closer inspection of the dresser, a great deal of Magnus's makeup as well. Jace figured the warlock just used magic to apply all his abundant and sparkly makeup. Guess it had to come from somewhere.

_Well crap._

Jace stared at all the makeup contraptions.

_How the fuck does Alec stand this._

Between Magnus and Izzy Alec's dresser had become a minefield of makeup containers in all sorts of colorful shades. Jace had no idea which one even held the container called "foundation" or was it "concealer" that he needed to cover the worst of the redness around his parabati rune. He picked up a couple containers trying to figure out which one he actually needed. Blue, green, brown. He set aside the brown one. He glanced inside a pale colored jar with some kind of paste in it.

_Fuck. I should have just woken Izzy._

"Is there something I do not know about the great Jace Herondale? Or is there any particular reason you are currently creeping around looking at makeup at five in the morning." A very awake warlock spoke from the bed.

_Well, there goes more of my reputation._

Jace spun around to face the warlock plastered on his best cocky smile. "Well, you see Izzy wanted something to make her look better for Simon…"

Magnus narrowed his eyes and shot Jace a deadpan look from the bed making him trail off.

"Jace, I'm not stupid. You were in the infirmary less than a day ago from some sort of injury. Now you have been benched and cannot join any further missions until approved. My guess. You want to cover up whatever your injury is, flirt with the medical staff, and get a pass to get assigned missions again. How am I doing?"

_Meddling warlock._

Jace knew that was exactly his plan, but to have it thrown at him so obviously made him grind his teeth.

"Not exactly." Jace said.

"Then why are you holding my makeup?" queried Magnus, peering at Jace, his head cocked to the side.

Jace cautiously put the makeup he was holding back down as if it was a bomb set and ready to explode at any moment. Unfortunately for him, all his attention was riveted on the warlock still in the bed and with a crash a large chunk from the pile of makeup slid off the dresser hitting the floor. A detonation of sparkles and powdery color spread out across the floor and washed over his boots.

_Stupid makeup…_

Magnus huffed out a laugh, bringing a hand up and with a quick wave of blue magic from his hand had the entire mess cleaned up and himself immaculately dressed, makeup in place.

"I shall ask again. Why are you here?" Magnus voice, broke no room for argument this time.

Jace shrugged his shoulders, threw his arms out with the movement. "Same as I said before. Izzy."

"And I am supposed to believe this plot to improve her appearance for the sake of Simon after I have spent the last 10 hours working with her on the Malachi project." Magnus prowled across the room towards Jace.

_Shit._

Jace despised being out of the loop. This was the whole reason he needed the makeup anyway. Get the go ahead from the infirmary for more missions.

"You do know a nurse is going to easily spot makeup covering up whatever you are trying to hide." Magnus pointed out.

_Not hiding anything._

Even as he thought it his hand inadvertently came up to press against his side over the parabati rune. Magnus's eyes zeroed in on the movement.

Jace stayed silent.

"Have it your way then." Magnus turned away and headed for the door. "We have a meeting about our counterattack soon."

"Fine… Fine. I need your help." Still holding onto the rune at his side Jace hurried to catch up to him before he got out the door, drawing up short when Magnus stopped walking suddenly and swiftly turned around, a small grin on his face.

"What do you need?" Magnus asked.

Jace looked away, then back to meet Magnus's brown eyes directly. "I need you to make my skin look normal." He said.

_There he said it._

"Let me see." Magnus's gentle request did not set him at ease.

Jace kept his eyes averted, head turned to the side, as he slowly lifted up his shirt to expose the parabati rune. It had stopped bleeding hours ago, but last he had checked it was still an angry red all around it.

He heard Magnus's sharp intake of breath. Followed by a wash of cool, blue magic. Magnus stood still for longer than Jace expected, sending more blue magic at the rune. He glanced down to see what was taking so long. It looked ok, well better than it had.

Magnus's magic stopped and he took a step away from Jace. "I don't know what happened to you or Alec, but I have my suspicions. That appears to be a much deeper injury that some demon attack."

_Great, like I don't have enough to worry about._

Jace checked the rune over. It appeared unblemished, soft, clean, unmarred skin sat around the rune. The rune itself a deep black, no scabs or blood on it. "Perfect. Thanks Magnus."

Jace shot out the door. He did not want to linger on whatever it was Magnus seemed to want to discuss. Plus, he had no idea how long this glamour was supposed to hold. On the bright side, he did feel much better now. No nausea, no weakness, in fact he kind of felt more rejuvenated than he had in a long time. He broke into a light jog, then with a small laugh burst into a sprint the rest of the way to the infirmary.

"Hey nurse!" Jace shouted.

Said nurse did not look impressed to see Jace sprinting through the corridors of the infirmary. Jace slid the last couple feet into her station and came to a graceful stop directly in front of her, threw on his best smolder and cocked his head to the right, small smirk in place.

"Hey. So, I feel a ton better. You said I needed rest. Got that done. Ate some food. Got some sunshine. Feel completely healthy. Give me the release to go on mission today?" Jace said all with complete confidence.

She barely batted an eye.

"We'll see, you are supposed to be on leave for two weeks, not a day. Go in room three. Strip the shirt off and I'll be in in a moment to check your vitals and the injury." She turned away to start entering information into the computer in front of her.

_This had better work._

Jace glanced behind him and scanned the hallway doors looking for the right room. Spotted it, pushed off the nurse's desk and jogged over to the examination room, mostly to show off that he could move easily.

_Healthy as a horse._

He hopped up on the table inside, pulled off his sweatshirt and began to play with his stele as he waited. Spinning it around his hands and twirling it between his fingers.

The nurse entered, setting her instruments to the side. Put on her gloves before she picked up one instrument and began to run him through each test, temperature, blood pressure, eyes, last she took a look at his side.

"Have you experienced any nausea since your episode?"

"No."

"Have you experienced any hallucinations?"

"No."

"Have you experienced any pulls or pain in your chest?"

"No."

The nurse typed some notes down into his file. Ran a hand over his parabati rune, no red marks around it to be seen. Jace nearly grinned in glee. This was going to work.

"I have no idea how you were able to recover so quickly. Your parabati rune was clearly damaged from either your side or your parabati's. Which means your soul may have been at risk. You already are aware of the risks of a weakened soul outside of this Institute. However, perhaps your angel blood has allowed for you to completely heal more quickly than most." Matter-of-fact and clinical the nurse typed away on her computer while she spoke.

_Lilith._

"So am I cleared?"

"Yes, you passed everything remarkably well." There was a strange note of dissonance in her voice. Jace glanced at her, making sure she was still typing out the needed paperwork to get him back to active duty. She was. But she also had a small frown on her face.

_Just needs to hold until I get him back._

She hit print. Jace had an urge to just reach out and grab the paperwork before she became suspicious. Settled for spinning his stele through his fingers again, pocketing it, and throwing on his shirt instead. It finished printing.

_Longest goddamn wait ever._

She picked it up, signed it, and stamped it.

_Anytime now._

The nurse handed it over to him. "You are all set for active duty. You may take that to Maryse or Lydia to be assigned. Good luck on your next mission."

Jace grinned, thanked her, and sprinted out, paper in hand. A joyful feeling bubbling up through him as he finally felt like he could take a step closer towards getting his parabati back. He glanced at one of the clocks as he ran by to reach Maryse's office. 5:45.

_Shit. 15 minutes. Maryse better be there_.

He burst into what should have been Alec's office without knocking. His adoptive mother sat at Alec's desk speaking with Lydia, they both looked towards him as he careened through the door, paper waving wildly in his hand.

"I can be on active duty again. Assign me to the mission to catch Jonathan and get Alec back." He practically shouted at them, like they were not five feet from him. Lydia looked like she might laugh and had brought a hand up to her mouth. Maryse had her face screwed up in a sort of forced scowl, but her eyes shown with relief.

_Best shadowhunter in New York._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Fifteen minutes later found Jace in the Ops Center along with Maryse, Lydia, Magnus, Izzy, Max, Simon, Clary, Lucian, and several other Shadowhunters. He dropped into the chair between Clary and Izzy. Clary gave him an anxious glance. Izzy on the other side of him was focused on some conversation with Magnus.

"You ok?" Clary's insistent, voice was the first thing he heard after he settled into his chair, legs crossed, hand already twirling his stele. He saw Izzy shoot him a frown for that, but she mostly remained engrossed in her conversation with Magnus. Probably thinking he was going to drop it and break it.

_It wouldn't be the first time._

"Yeah. Medic gave me the ok to return to duty." He felt a mild irritation at the question. She should know he would do anything for most of the people here, especially for Alec.

"Jace, you were in a wheelchair yesterday." Clary blatantly pointed out as she scooted her chair closer.

_Yes, I know I was buddies with the chair of shame._

"Well, I got better." He snapped. Jace noticed hurt cross her face as she pulled away.

He sighed and dropped his voice to a low whisper. "It's my angel blood. Whatever happened to the bond, my blood fixed it just as fast. I'm fine." The last bit he put some extra edge to his voice.

"Ok, well Maryse wants you as lead." Clary replied a bit stiffly.

_Since Alec isn't._

"Everyone is here. Let us get started." Maryse's voice cut across everyone's conversations, effectively shutting everyone up. "Good. Jace, you will be lead on this assignment. You have always been our best fighter and as the only one who has truly fought Jonathan you understand him a bit better than most. Max will track them starting at the location Jace discovered them exiting Edom from, Magnus will go with him as both support and protection."

A low mummer of "Mooom." Came from Max's side of the table, before a sharp look from Maryse quieted him.

"Magnus once the two of you have located them. You will portal Max home. Immediately. Then portal the others to the needed location. Each of you will be receiving a comm. These comms only work at short distance due to how most technology interacts with magic. Magnus has several warlocks setting up a shield around New York to trap both demonic and angelic signatures from crossing. Izzy, once they have been located you can set up your new Malachi configuration. Tell the others about it."

Izzy sat up straighter as all attention veered towards her. "Magnus and I were able to set it up to hold various signatures both Alec and Jonathan shall remain contained. It has a one block radius. The only thing we need to do after that is locate them within that block and keep them still enough for Clary to draw her rune."

"Isn't that exactly the same plan as last time?" Jace interjected.

_Nothing changed._

"Jace, that plan should have worked. It didn't because we had gone in assuming Alec was on our side. We are not letting that happen again. Which is why your focus will be to capture Alec. Clary, Simon, and Magnus will focus on capturing Jonathan. Izzy and the others will be placing the Malachi configuration. Magnus, I want you to focus on whoever Clary is capturing to ensure the move via her portal rune goes smoothly with no mistakes." Whatever heartbreak Maryse was feeling for her eldest, she was covering it well.

"Dismissed." Maryse barked out.

Jace turned his head towards Max. Youngest shadowhunter on this mission and the whole thing hinged on his ability to track two people that obviously did not want to be found.

Max's face was pale, but his eyes were determined. He hopped up with boyish energy and quickly walked to where Magnus was standing. "Let's go get my brother back." Max said with enough conviction that Jace actually believed he might feel it.

_Why are you running from us Alec?_

Magnus gave a small smile that did not quite wash away the pain in his eyes that Jace could see from here. He reached out his arm to Max, the Lightwood ring glinting on his finger, and with a circular wave of his other arm, opened a portal to the nearest location Max needed to travel to begin the tracking.

"Stay safe." It was Maryse. Her voice sounded far closer to terrified than Jace was comfortable hearing and he found himself moving with Isabelle to stand near her. They were still family. Maryse had her eldest already considered rogue. Jace doubted she had filed the paperwork to make that official though. But seeing her eyes widen just slightly as Max vanished with Magnus through the portal. Jace realized that she did consider Alec a threat even to his own family.

"Jace." Maryse had control over herself again and was turning to him.

"I know. I'll get Alec back." Jace promised her.

"It's not that. I want you to be careful. Whatever happened to him in Edom. There is a very strong possibility he is possessed and we do not know the demon." Maryse said.

"If it was just a demon, he would have been able to be tracked. Easily." Snapped Jace turning fully to face her.

She made an abortive motion with her arm, sighed tiredly. "When he killed two of our own. Alec was screaming about them not being right."

_Why was he just learning of this now?_

The videos he had watched with Clary had been blurry and watching Alec kill two people he supposedly knew had caused a sick feeling to form in his stomach. He had not understood why Alec had attacked.

"What do you mean "not right"? Jace asked forcefully.

"We don't know. But the two he did attack he blasted with some form of energy into their sides, where your parabati rune is located." She took his hands in hers, a gleam of manic hope shining darkly in her eyes. "I think he was searching for the parabati rune. For you."

_She's a mother. She would reach for any hope to save her children._

He did not know Alec had been searching for something, had not felt anything from the bond but the constant conflicting warmth and razor ice. Certainly had not felt any emotions from Alec's end of the bond since this whole thing started. But her words gave him an optimistic hope that was dashed in cold reality as soon as it started to form. Two people had died to show that slight glimpse into Alec's state of mind.

"You don't think he's possessed do you? That's just what you need to put down in the file in case the Clave shows up." Jace remarked carefully, letting go of Maryse's hands and crossing his arms over his chest.

Maryse crossed her arms around herself. "I know my boy is in there somewhere. Your rune still being intact is proof enough of that. All of you worked so hard to bring Clary back and you succeeded. I want my boy back. He will know you. The silent brother even said it was intact and not corrupted."

_He also said there was something seriously wrong._

The following wait for Max or Magnus to call about the location to meet felt like forever. Jace found that just spinning his stele was not enough, pacing was not enough, and that he had a nervous energy pulsing through him that would not let him sit still for more than a moment.

Clary sat drawing something in her sketchpad, while Izzy went over her Malachi configuration numbers for the 10,000th time banging her head into the table in front of her in her own form of frustrated waiting. Simon had left to call Raphael regarding the shield going up. Lucian was somewhere else. The other shadowhunters in their group sat doing their own thing. Nobody talked. He kind of wished Simon was here just to break the silence with some ill-timed comment about a comic.

_Since when do you prefer Simon's geekiness to Clary's company?_

"Can I see what you are drawing?" Jace found himself asking, just to break the silence and diminish the awkwardness.

"Uh, yeah, sure." Clary flipped the notebook around and handed it over. He took it, careful not to bend any pages. It was a picture of him, standing tall, arms straight out from his sides, his sword in one his right hand, most of his body bare, head thrown back. Jace was shocked to see it. For one, it was amazing artwork the detail astounding. For two, he never realized she saw him as such a warrior. He felt something warm bloom in his chest.

"It's amazing." He said softly. He turned another page. It was of him asleep. As he took it in he realized it was from when he had fallen asleep outside in the courtyard the other day. He glanced at her to find her blushing a bright red, her face burned brighter when she met his eyes. He flipped a few other pages to find one of Izzy while she worked fixing a weapon. Another of Simon laughing.

"Do you have any of Alec?" Jace asked offhandly.

Clary's lips thinned as she crossed one arm across her body and reached out with the other to retrieve the notebook. "No, sorry. He was always so busy being a leader I never had a chance."

_Didn't really want a sketched picture anyway._

"Oh. Well maybe when we get him back. Draw him for me."

_Where the hell had that request come from._

"Sure, if you want. I can." Clary said with a small smile.

The Ops Center phone rang. It was Max with a location. It was close.

_Fucking finally._

They all finished strapping on last minute weapons, casting steles over runes as they gathered by the determined location that Magnus would open a portal for them. The golden hued portal formed before them and they all stepped through. Magnus stood on the other side. A second portal winking out of existence behind him.

_Must have been Max._

Jace clicked his Comm unit on and did a voice check of each person on the team. He ensured each soldiers comm was working, affirmatives returned from each person. Simon needed to turn his down a bit, but otherwise everyone was good. Jace pointed to three of the shadowhunters and Izzy and gave each a signal to travel in groups of two around the perimeter to impale the Malachi Configuration into the ground. The four activated their speed and stealth runes and took off. Jace checked that Clary, Simon, and Magnus were behind him and began the trek towards the center of the block. He pushed open the glass door to the building in front of them and doing a quick scan for danger before signaling the others inside.

_Time to go be bait._

He leapt over the security desk on the first floor, ignoring the mundane that sat idly sipping coffee and oblivious to their presence. The guy glanced up once but otherwise did not notice anything amiss. Simon had already used his vampire speed to zoom past the guards line of sight and was waiting for them around the corner.

"_Jace, can you hear me?"_

Jace reached up his hand to the comm in his ear. He disliked how garbled her voice already sounded after only a few feet into the building Jonathan held Alec, made a note of it in his head that they may need to rely on Magnus to inform them when the Malachi configuration was activated.

Activating the comm. "Affirmative." Jace replied.

"_Points 1 and 2 have been placed, 3 and 4 on the way." _Izzy's quickly fading and crackled voice streamed through his ear.

Jace motioned Magnus to him. The warlock was dressed in some ridiculously sparkly outfit, sewn with dragons in gold and red. He moved with a relaxed ease that belied just how much power lay within him.

"Going to need you to tell us when the Malachi configuration goes up." Jace informed him.

Magnus just nodded, eyes flashing gold. Maybe more ready for this to be over than Jace was. With Jace in the lead they started scouting through the building, one room at a time.

"Magnus, you sense anything?" Jace asked after they cleared the first floor.

"Basement." Magnus replied.

"Awesome, let's go." Jace said.

They found the nearest set of stairs and headed down.

Jace pulled his seraph blade out and let it light up. The soft angelic light casting a soft glow over the lower portion of his face and giving him some light into the gloom of the basement.

"I smell blood." Simon warned hovering close to Clary.

Jace's ear split open on a crackle. He batted at his ear, but the screeching had already stopped.

_Ow._

"Malachi is up." Magnus said a moment later.

_I figured. Thanks for the confirmation._

When they rounded the next corner Jace was unprepared for what met them. Jonathan Morgenstern stood crouched before them in the dark holding a Seelie blade, his flesh was torn in several places, one spot near his neck Jace knew used to hold an angelic rune. Jace could see the blade shiver in his grasp.

"Clary!? Clary you there?" Jonathan's first words sounded pleading and desperate. "Clary you have to help. I don't know how to stop it anymore."

"Yeah I'm here." Clary responded moving towards her demonic brother carefully, blade out and ready.

The red haired man took a step towards where Clary's voice had come from and Jace raised his blade higher.

Some instinct told him to move, so he did, spinning to his right, blade slashing out towards the attack, only to feel an arrow wiz by where he had been standing a second ago. Jace nearly dropped his sword when he realized the attacker was Alec.

_Ambush. Split them up._

"Clary, do your thing." Jace ordered. He turned away from Alec and burst into a sprint away from Jonathan, praying that Alec would follow. He felt more than heard the low snarl.

_Duck._

Jace dropped into a roll, two more arrows flew over his head. He popped up and threw himself around a corner, out of line of sight from the deadly objects, back pressed to the wall, blade in hand, waiting for Alec to approach. Instinct telling him Alec would follow him.

_Come on._

_Above._

Jace threw himself to the side as Alec dropped from the pipes above him, a silver blade flashing towards his side. Jace brought his own blade up to clash, felt the reverberation through his shoulders when they hit.

This close he finally got a decent look at his parabati. Black hair matted, face twisted in a feral snarl, brown eyes unfocused with something shining there that Jace did not have time to identify before Alec was twisting his blade down, forcing Jace's to go with it.

"Alec! It's me! It's Jace!" Shouted Jace desperately at Alec, bringing a foot up and using the wall behind him as leverage to push Alec off and away from him.

"You left me." Snarled Alec.

"I didn't leave you!" Jace shouted at him confused about the statement. Alec swung the blade forcing Jace to bend his knees deeply and avoid the attack. Jace sprang back up with enough force to slam his sword into Alec's and cause the other to stagger backward a step. Jace took advantage of it and swung up and across again aiming for Alec's arm to incapacitate. Alec deflected each blow.

_Clary hurry the hell up._

The next attack from Alec nearly cost Jace his head as Alec reached up grabbed an arrow and aimed it and his blade at Jace's chest slashing both across at the same time. Jace found himself dancing around Alec in a circle to avoid getting cornered by the wall.

"We're on the same side! Damnit!" Jace hollered.

_What is wrong with you?_

Alec's eyes lit with something, but his whole body had paused and tensed. Jace took full advantage of it. Threw his body towards the ground, dropped his seraph blade, lunged the short distance to Alec, grabbing his ankles and yanked him off his feet with all his might, keeping his eyes on the weapon in Alec's right hand. Alec crashed to the floor with a strangled shout. Jace did not give him a chance to move, crawled, kicked, and pulled his way up Alec's back which was slippery and wet with some substance. Jace used his own body weight to keep Alec pinned to the basement floor. Alec tried to stab him with his right arm holding the Seelie blade. Jace latched onto the flailing arm with both hands, lifted up the offending arm and slammed it down with enough force he could hear a crack.

Alec merely grunted in pain. Jace slammed the arm down again. Alec let out a shout of anguish as the bones in his wrist were stressed, nearly breaking. Alec slammed his head back and up into Jace's face giving him enough leverage to roll his hips and flip the two of them over. Jace wrapped his legs around Alec's waist in a grapple move trying to gain the upper hand again. He missed seeing Alec pull his fist back before it slammed into his face, snapping his head to the side making the edges of his vision turn a dangerous black.

_Didn't check that blow._

"Alec look at me!" Jace shouted. Head still swimming, Jace struggled to catch Alec's eyes.

Alec's left hand came up to close around Jace's throat, tightening dangerously.

Jace growled.

_Want to play rough. I'll win._

Jace curled his body up, hips pushing against Alec, inched his legs up Alec's back until he could wrap them around his throat. Alec knew this grapple. As soon as Jace got his legs around his neck, Alec surged upwards, standing to his full height, bringing Jace completely off the ground.

_Oh fuck._

Jace felt gravity take over as he was slammed back into the ground, head bouncing against the concrete, the blackness nearly took him under. Jace rolled over onto his hands and knees panting and gasping for air, with a thought he activated his strength and stamina runes to keep himself conscious, golden light seeped from the two runes.

Alec stood swaying nearby gasping just as hard.

"Got to make this hard don't you? Just come back home and we can fix…" Jace started but was cut off when Alec's leg connected with his side, throwing him up in the air to land a few feet away. His back and ribs felt like they were on fire. Groaning Jace rolled with it, staggering to his feet.

"You know nothing of what I want to fix." Alec growled lowly, approaching him like a predator.

_Oh, I think I have a good idea._

The rune at his side felt like it might be bleeding again and was sending off anguished waves of pain. Each wave felt hotter than the last. Something hot slithered through his skin.

"Alec. Stop! Just Stop!" Jace snapped.

_Where the fuck were the others._

Alec did not stop. Instead he picked up the fallen Seelie blade and slashed across Jace's chest. Fresh blood splattered across the floor, Jace felt the sticky wetness quickly coat his chest and soak his shirt. Now that pissed him off. He punched Alec across the face with a backhand, quickly followed by a straight punch to the face.

_Why. Won't. You. Stop._

On each word in his head Jace hit Alec again, until the other was staggering under the onslaught. Jace maneuvered him back into the wall, pinning him there with his hips, breath coming in sharp pants against Alec's face.

Alec shuddered under the weight, the feral snarl dropped from his face. Fight finally gone.

_Well he stopped._

Jace was not quite sure how to proceed from here. But he sure as hell was not moving away from Alec either. Rune cooling at his side. Jace shifted his stance to press a little harder against Alec to ensure he did not escape, bringing his arms to firmly plant them on either side of Alec trapping him in. He could feel Alec's muscles bunching as if to run.

"Don't run." Jace ordered. Alec's whole body tensed, shuddered, and locked up again.

If this odd stance of bodies pressed together is what it took to get him back, well he had enough of throwing his reputation out the window the last couple days anyway that he did not really care what it looked like to the others when they showed up to portal them.

Hot breath ghosted across Jace's face, firing off an awareness of their positions.

"Going to tell me what happened in Edom?" Jace questioned to keep his focus.

"No." Alec growled, head turning to the side.

"It involves both of us." Jace stated.

Alec's eyes snapped to Jace's. Brown met the heterochromia of blue and brown. A small twist in Alec's lips, almost a frown, eyes searching Jace's for something, his gaze dropped briefly before snapping back up. Jace felt the rune on his side start to heat slowly, small embers of flame entering his bloodstream.

"You weren't there." Alec said.

_I know._

Jace let his hand slide down Alec's right arm, telling himself he was not searching for something. His chest tightened as he made out lines of black running down Alec's arm.

Alec remained locked in place, breath coming in short gasps, trembling.

"Jace…"

"You never run from a fight. You've never run from me." Jace did not even try to hide the hurt he felt, saying it made the pain in his chest surge. The slow burn emitting from his rune kept increasing his awareness of just how tightly locked they stood.

"You'll never understand." Alec hissed at him.

"Try me." Jace challenged locking their gazes.

Alec stared into his eyes. Dark brown, sparking with some decision, before he tilted his head and slammed into Jace in a reckless angry kiss.

Heat poured through his veins ratcheting higher each time Alec moved his lips against his again. Biting, nipping, and demanding something only Jace could give him.

_That wasn't the plan._

His body did not seem to get the message that his rational self was telling it and his mind had stopped working altogether when Alec had slid his hand behind his neck holding him in place. Instead he caved to it, found himself responding to it, meeting Alec's kisses with a fever he was unaware was there until now. This wet hot heat that had consumed him, burned him up and demanded he get closer to Alec. Jace was not certainly not moving away but Alec seemed to think he would as he grasped Jace's jacket, twisted it and attempted to pull him closer. Not that there was much room left between the two of them. Jace felt the wild heat start to build in his spine, crawling into his groin and up his back, he shoved a leg between Alec's, heard a groan come from the dark haired man only making him want more.

_Fuck._

"_Jace, what's your location? We have Jonathan secured." _

Clary's voice screeched with static across the comm in his ear. The bucket of cold, hard reality crashed through his ear and hit his over fevered brain. He broke the heated kiss and froze staring at Alec. His eyes dark, lips red from the attack, hair mussed. Breathe coming in deep sharp pants. Alec inclined his head towards him again and Jace responded by grasping Alec's wrists and pinned them above his head. Alec gave a low grown that sent heat right to his gut.

_What the fuck just happened?_

Because Jace was not about to compromise this mission over whatever the hell that had just been. Securing Alec's wrists in one hand, he reached to his comm, while casting a quick glance around the basement searching for something to tell Clary. Because, fuck, he had not been paying attention the entire fight.

_Novice mistake._

Spotting a door with a number on it he clicked the comm on. "Near room B116. I've got Alec. You might want to hurry." He responded hoarsely.

Jace felt quite uncertain he would not try to attack Alec's lips again. If the others came in to find the two of them like that, Jace did not even want to think about the fallout. Clary would never speak to him again and they were already in a rough patch. Magnus. Well, Magnus would probably obliterate him within a magical inferno.

The roaring fire, settled to a slow pulse and burn deep in his parabati rune.

"Going to turn me into the Clave?" Alec sounded more defeated than angry.

"No, I'm taking you home. We'll figure the rest out later." Jace told him not letting go of Alec's wrists.

_Except that kiss. Not going to mention that mind altering kiss ever again._

"Found them! Keep going the direction you are going and take the first door marked B100." Simon's joyful voice echoed doubly as loud considering he was both in the room with them now and it was echoing through his comm secured painfully in his ear. Jace ripped the offensive thing out before he could rupture an eardrum. Simon approached them and Jace watched as a complicated set of emotions crossed his face, before settling on amusement. It took a second for Jace to realize he still had Alec pinned to the wall with his hips, holding his arms over his head with one arm.

"So are you two going to shag now or should I leave and come back later?" Simon joked.

Jace felt Alec tense as if to attack and Jace quickly brought up the pair of magical handcuffs that were originally intended for Jonathan, snapped them around Alec's wrists.

Alec's whole body sagged suddenly, breath gusting out of him.

Jace had to scramble a bit just to keep him from hitting the floor. His arm and chest paining him as his body took all of Alec's dead weight and held him up.

"Is he alright?" Simon asked.

"No, dipshit. He just collapsed for no reason." Jace glowered at the vampire and lowered Alec to a seated position on the floor. Alec leaned his body into him and nuzzled into his side. Jace heard Simon laugh at the action.

"Dude, I think he's drugged. Alec is not cuddly." Simon's eyes laughed at Jace's apparent awkwardness with the whole situation.

Jace instead tried to ignore the spike of heat and pleasure that had shot through his side when Alec had nuzzled into him.

"Least he didn't kill anyone. Maryse was right. He recognized me." Jace acknowledged resting a hand on Alec's shoulder.

Magnus and Clary rounded the corner each appearing like they had run the whole way.

"Alexander. Oh thank God you are safe." Magnus rushed towards Alec to check his lover over. Alec took one look at Magnus, face twisted into a snarl, eyes going from brown to pitch black in a heartbeat and lunged past Jace towards the warlock. Using his recently handcuffed arms to cut the warlock's breath off and slammed him into the ground with a roar.

_What the hell._

Magnus was everything to Alec. He would not attack him. Only clearly he just had. Magnus appeared just as shocked but was quick to recover. Blue magic wrapped around Alec to physically lift him off, while Jace grabbed Alec's shoulders from behind to wrench him off the gold-eyed warlock. Alec let out an inhuman howl at this, reaching for Magnus. Jace could see the magical shackles lighting up with red sparks of magic.

_Magic. Shadowhunters don't have magic._

"Clary. Now. Send me with him." Jace called out the order, eyeing those glowing shackles as they began to grow brighter and brighter.

They were running out of time if those glowing shackles said anything.

"No. I'm not sending you to a cell like that." Clary snapped angrily.

Jace growled still struggling to hold onto a kicking and howling Alec. His rune lit up in an angry painful inferno.

_I don't have time to argue._

Jace looked over at Clary eyes glowing golden concentrating to let his angelic power activate every rune. He gave the red head a tight nod to let her know he would let go when she drew the rune. Clary drew the gold rune in the air. Jace watched it carefully, the short seconds drawing down into an agonizing moment as Jace prepared to shove Alec towards the rune and get himself the hell out of the way. He did not want to know what happened to a person's body if they only had half their body get hit by a portal rune. He coiled his body ready for the call.

"Jace now!"

At her shout Jace shoved Alec forward with all the might his strength rune gave him, pushed with his legs to hurl himself to the side, felt Magnus's magic wrapping around his torso pulling him away from the incoming portal rune even faster.

As he watched that bright rune collapse close, carrying Alec to the Institutes holding cells Jace felt a pressure ease off. He had him. He was safe. He could talk to him.

_Don't think about the kiss._

"Well, that was easy." Magnus said dusting off his expensive jacket.

"Yeah, cause a horde of demons was easy." Grinned Simon, he was covered in several cuts but nothing serious. "But you were so badass. It was like watching a real life Harry Potter or Doctor Strange when he waves his arms about. But you are way cooler."

"You ok?" Clary's concern something Jace did not need to deal with right now.

Jace picked up the Comm he had dropped earlier, stuck it in his ear. "Izzy?" He asked into the comm.

Nothing.

_Stupid short range._

"Come on. Let's go outside get the others and send a cleanup crew." Jace ordered the the group.

They gathered up the others, no major injuries, and headed home. The trek home felt far too short and too long. Jace had no idea how to approach Alec now. What could he even say? The bond was hurting. And whatever had happened Alec did not appear remotely close to talking to him. And that kiss, what the hell had that been about. Last week Alec was ready to marry Magnus. Jace glanced at Magnus out of the corner of his eye as they walked home, guilt traveled in slow spirals through his gut alongside the strange heat the kiss had rammed into his body.

"You ok?" Clary asked again dropping back to walk beside him.

_No._

"Yeah. We have Jonathan. We have Alec back. We'll sort everything out." Jace told her absently.

_So why does it feel like I lost._

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

"Jace!"

Alec yelled as he hit the floor on the other side of the rune. Scrambling to his feet, his head whipped from side to side searching the cell.

"Still alive." Jonathan's deep, slow voice sounded from across the room.

Alec groaned in relief. Ever since the explosion of Edom they had been relying on each other for sanities sake. Looking around he realized they were in the Institutes underground cells which meant they were considered a threat, dangerous enough to quarantine without bringing them in to be processed.

_Jonathan will be considered the threat. Not me, I can use that._

"Clary is coming here. She's going to talk to me. She's going to kill me." Jonathan informed him, but Alec could detect the faint tremble of fear.

Alec crawled over and sat down beside Jonathan, leaning back against the cell wall with him, still panting from the collision with Jace. "Clary loves you." He gasped out.

_She'll murder you._

"No she doesn't. Every step I take to try and get closer she pushes me away. Even with the twinning rune she wanted to be rid of me!" Jonathan snarled, eyes flashing dangerously but he did not move from his spot.

Alec closed his eyes. There had to be a way out of this.

"I don't know much about Clary. But Jace loves her and she wants you to be her brother. Edom's souls changed you. Use that. She'll want to believe you. She wants a family." Alec informed him as the insanity drew back, leaving behind the rush of cold.

"Changed you too." Jonathan said nudging his shoulder.

Alec rubbed at his parabati rune at that. Stupid thing had been painfully cold since Jonathan had dragged him from the stream of souls blasting through to Heaven. Jace appeared perfectly fine when they had clashed, although he was a little hazy in parts of that exchange. The entire day since he had left Edom had been hazy if he was honest with himself. Sections crossed and blurred together until he could not tell which was real and which was dream.

Jonathan reached over suddenly and dug his nails into Alec's arm, literally clawed a rune into his skin.

Sharp pain exploded in his arm as the nails dug deep, Alec yanked his arm away only for Jonathan to follow still digging and drawing, blood seeped up from the wound.

Jonathan released him just as suddenly as he had attacked. Sitting back down against the wall casually after the violence he had just exhibited.

Warmth spread through Alec's system, clearing his head a bit further. Etched into his skin was a new angelic rune, diamond shape rounded on one side, crisscrossed on the other with prongs sticking out.

"Your precious angel rune isn't going to hold it back forever. The fact I'm drawing it now, not you, is telling. So is the fever and the tremors. What would your precious parabati say if he knew what you are now?" There was a taunt in there somewhere, a slow drawl as Jonathan enjoyed the moment.

"Think you need your head looked at. Jace will check here once. Then Clary will drag him off on some new stupid deadly adventure." Alec's head felt completely clear again and the muddled thoughts faded. Maybe Magnus would know of a way to fix this. The warlock should be grateful he was no longer locked in Edom due to Alec's sacrifice.

_Because that plan went so well._

"Maybe she'll see that I have humanity left in me." Jonathan stated hopefully, kicking his feet out in front of himself now that Alec had the new rune applied.

_Yeah. I don't._

"Clary said she would kill you." Alec said coldly.

"Clary isn't like my father. Clary isn't like my mother. She still cares about me." Jonathan snarled his vicious voice echoed in the cell.

Alec did not know what to make of that. Demonic rage and destructive Jonathan he understood how to deal with. This new caring and hurt Jonathan kept throwing him off. He knew he needed to keep reapplying the angelic rune every hour but had apparently forgotten. Instead Jonathan had applied it. Looking down at his arm he saw three other angelic runes carved into his arms from Jonathan's nails.

_Missed a few other hours in there._

"Sorry, I just. It's a lot to deal with. I got you out because I saw some good in you. That same good Clary always hoped to be there under it all. I just….I don't know what to do…" Alec told him.

Jonathan knocked his head back against the wall. "Yeah, well my plan backfired spectacularly when you lost it." Jonathan rolled his head to look over at Alec.

"I didn't lose it." Growled Alec, dark eyes narrowing.

"You lost most of your soul. You expect to just move on from that? Your warlock boyfriend should be able to tell you just how long you have until what you do have in that body winks out or is corrupted by Lilith's remnants. I wanted to stick you in the nearest hellish realm, get as far from you as possible before it exploded."

_That's a nice mental image._

Alec shuddered. "Then why haven't you?"

"Because when I lived in this Institute as Sebastian. You all showed me the value of emotions and power. Not being a demon anymore, apparently logic goes out the window."

_You had logic?_

"That didn't answer the question." Alec said flatly.

Jonathan turned to face Alec more fully. "You reminded me of me. A shadowhunter forced into being something they never should have been. I've been given a second chance, so should you."

Something uncomfortable lodged in his chest. He was not like Jonathan. He was a respected shadowhunter, leader of the New York Institute, he had people counting on him.

_I got this. It's just about control. _

"Jonathan, you got a glimpse into life here at the Institute, you saw how the others fought for each other. Clary will fight for you with everything she has." Alec felt a wave of cold wash over him, rune at his side burning icily and he scratched at it in annoyance. "Then she'll kill you."

"Defiantly getting worse. Can't wait for this lovely conversation when your friends arrive." Jonathan reached over and dug his nails in, retracing the angelic rune without another comment.

-o-o-o-o-o-

_Ding!_

The doors to the lowest level in the Institute slid open at an agonizing slow place to Jace. He shoved his way through them before they were fully open and sprinted down the grey halls to the cells he knew would hold Alec and Jonathan. Heard the others trailing behind him at a slower pace. He needed to ensure Alec was physically there. Jace nearly collided his face into the glass wall when he reached it searching the cell frantically. His eyes landed on Alec and Jonathan who were seated beside each other on the far side.

Jonathan had his legs kicked out in front of himself casually wiping his hand against his pant leg. Alec was digging his nails into his right arm until Jonathan leaned over to whisper something in his ear. Alec's head snapped up that dark gaze slammed into Jace's. His breath caught. He's safe. The reality of the picture before him hit a second later when he realized Alec was mutilating his skin.

_Fuck. What is wrong with him?_

Magnus, Clary, and Maryse arrived shortly after. Maryse placed her hand to the glass as if she could touch her son. Jace reached over and hit the comm.

"Alec. Jonathan. You both have been captured and quarantined until this Institute had determined your health and sentencing." Jace announced, shooting a look at Maryse whom now seemed incapable of beginning the questioning of her own son.

"I want to talk to Clary only." Jonathan's first request was met with a hard stare from Jace.

"She'll talk to you when she's ready and with me present at all times." Claimed Jace crossing his arms in a dominant stance glaring at Jonathan.

Jace could not help it his eyes slid over to Alec's form, searching his body for signs of distress. In the bright light of the cell he hated what he saw. Alec's body was covered in the angelic rune over and over and over again particularly on his right arm. There were a couple demonic runes he could see across his chest, a strange goop like blood coated his entire body. Clary was right about him looking half naked. Jace had not really focused on the clothing during the fight he and Alec had earlier but he did remember the feeling of hot bare skin pressed against his body.

"So, why are they in the same cell?" Simon stated the obvious.

_Kind of wondered that myself._

"It's hard to aim that rune and this cell I understood the location of best." Clary admitted.

Alec stood. "Jace, let me out." He demanded. Jace could not look away from that dark gaze, watched as Alec drew closer to the glass pane, saw Alec's jaw tighten when he stopped in front of Jace, lifting up a hand to press it against the glass. "Let me out. I won't hurt anyone."

_Like those two shadowhunters._

Jace shook his head slightly. "Can't do that parabati. You and Jonathan here get to explain exactly what happened in Edom. Now."

Alec's gaze flickered across Jace's face, he licked his lower lip before it turned into a snarl. "I'm part of this Institute! I got Magnus out of Edom! Everything is fine!"

_Really not acting like Alec._

"Look at his arm. Alec have you been drawing the runes on yourself?" Magnus spoke as he drew gracefully forward until he stood beside Jace.

The comment drew Jace's gaze back to the tattered arm. Coated in blood and covered in clawed angelic runes, two bleeding as he looked at them. He did not use a stele, they should not even work.

"Why do you need so many runes?" Clary asked.

"How about we start from the beginning." stated Magnus bringing his hand up to touch the glass pane.

Alec's gaze finally broke from Jace's to travel toward Magnus. "That's easy. You didn't tell me where the souls to Edom were located. I got help." Alec waved an arm towards Jonathan, paused as he stalked towards Magnus's side of the glass. "Our enemy has helped us destroy Edom, taken out Lilith and Asmodeus. And you want to lock us up for it?" Alec's voice grew darker. "Or are we just here until the Clave comes to kill us?"

"No one is killing anybody!" Maryse ordered.

Jace glanced at Jonathan and Clary whom Jace figured would be the two volatile ones in this situation. Hell, he wanted to snap and rage too. Felt a need to scream at Alec until the other man saw sense.

"What did it cost?" Magnus's softly spoken question to Alec had Jace snapping his gaze to Alec.

Alec had a strange look on his face, he smiled towards Magnus. Something in that smile had Jace on high alert, hand falling to his seraph blade.

"You are wasting your time. There is nothing wrong. Edom is destroyed. Jonathan is cured. All you have to do is release us." Alec eerily stated.

"What do you mean Jonathan is cured?" Clary's insistent hopeful voice leapt on one single statement. She immediately moved towards Jonathan to look at him better. Her arms wrapped around her waist hugging herself. "How can we tell?" She asked glancing at Jace.

_Not trusting this bullshit._

Jace kept his gaze on Alec. He was the one who stated this supposed cure. Felt his jaw clench tight when Alec met his gaze. His rune pulsed again. He ignored it.

"We can send samples of their blood down to the lab, search for demonic taint and infection." Izzy logically mentioned, her gaze on her brother as well.

Alec looked like he could use about ten doses of anti-venom and some work from a silent brother.

"That won't show what is wrong with Alexander." Magnus's voice flowed easily, but there was a tension in his face that was hard to miss. "Alexander. I'm a warlock. Part of my job is to understand souls. Yours isn't fully there. What's left is how you are alive, how you are functioning as you are I do not know. But there are ways to fix you."

_That night his parabati rune had bled…_

Alec angled his gaze towards the warlock, something icy in that gaze. "You don't know what you are talking about."

"I know souls. I know yours and it isn't there." Magnus sadly told him.

_The warm feeling, slicing into ice. That was the end of a soul…_

"We need a silent brother and need to keep this quiet. The Clave can never know about this and make sure no one else knows." Jace kept his voice even. Inside he felt cold dread. Alec had his soul ripped in half, the bond was supposed to be two souls interlocked into one. One soul.

_The heat from that kiss._

"_You weren't there…"_

"I know one that may help." Magnus informed them and began slowly waving his arms up and down attempting to scan Alec with his magic. Alec's handcuffed arms shook under the strain attempting to help or escape. Blue magic wrapped around his body, handcuffs slowly turning a brighter and brighter red.

"I'll obtain the blood samples from both." Izzy tried to sound calm and failed, as she watched her brother on the other side of the glass.

Jace could not really fault her the emotion.

"I'll get the blood samples." Jace announced as tension bled into his shoulders, an urge to get near Alec was corrupting this decision. He needed to do this. Lurking somewhere under his skin the pulsing heat had picked up.

_Obtain the blood samples, get the diagnostic report, and fix Alec._

Jonathan walked calmly over to Alec grabbed his arm, ignoring Magnus's magic entirely. Before Jace could take a breath, Jonathan slammed his nails into Alec's arm carving out the angelic rune. Alec barely flinched. It appeared identical to the others scrawled across his arm.

"Get away from him!" snarled Jace slamming his fist into the glass.

"Ah. Uh. We wouldn't want him to kill you. Bet he wouldn't like that when he gained rationality." Jonathan called, green eyes clocking the movements of Jace and Clary. Clary stood horrified at the violence. Magnus cut his magical diagnostic off.

"Jace. I don't want you to go in there. Send the needles in through the food port and have them take the samples. Send them back through. It's simple." Pleaded Clary.

"No. I'm getting Alec's myself."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Alec monitored Jace's movements as they got everything ready for the simple blood samples. Watched as the blonde paced, touched his side once or twice and twirled his stele while they waited for Izzy to bring the needles. Izzy showed up and he acknowledged her presence with a nod. Otherwise, he felt numb. Eyes still tracking Jace through the glass.

"Alright. I want Alec to come over to the door first. Jonathan you wait on the far side of the room. Clary go activate the center shield." Jace commanded taking the first needle over to the double set of doors and stepping through.

Alec heard them hiss close. Jace directly on the other side. The compulsion to grab Jace and drag him in was growing. There was a thirst for something he was trying hard to ignore. He'd already given in to it once.

_He kissed you back._

If he wanted to get out of this cell. He needed to act normal, healthy.

"Alec, I need you to put your arm through the food port. I'll take the blood sample then." Jace called through the door, voice slightly muffled.

"Acknowledged." The urge was growing, a heat blooming in his side finally easing the cold ache. The port slid open, Alec stuck his unblemished arm through, felt Jace's hand slide up his arm from his wrist to his elbow. Goosebumps broke out on his skin, heat flared through him. Jace's hand wrapped gently around his elbow holding him in place. Felt the quick brush of the alcohol wipe, followed by the prick of the needle. Jace's hand slide back down his arm, every nerve ending on fire from the simple casual touch.

"Got it." Jace's voice sounded hoarse. He heard him clear his throat once before continuing. "You can go back to the other side. Jonathan's turn now."

Ice spread back through his side as he got up to walk away, the heat that had eased the pain fading the further he walked away. By the time Alec reached the other side of the room anger and frustration were burning low in his gut.

_Control it._

He wanted to punch the wall, settled for glaring at it until Jace had finished with Jonathan, continued to glare at it as the small party left him and Jonathan in the warded cell together.

"How the mighty have fallen." Jonathan told him as he settled down in front of Alec. "Clary will get me out of here now." He nodded to himself, eyes locked on the door that had closed behind the team.

Alec curled in on himself, shifting away from Jonathan.

He knew where his soul was.


	2. Chapter 2

**Dark Stained Soul**

**By Evey**

**Chapter Two**

_Whiiiiirrr._

The sound of the centrifuge sounded quietly in the laboratory. Everything was metal and sterile, several counters along the outside of the room with several worktables in the center. Jace stared up at the blank ceiling and spun his stele in his hands while waiting for the whirring machine to finish its spinning task. Blonde hair still wet from the shower he took to clean the mission and blood off his skin, fresh bandages across his muscled chest from the wound Alec had given him. Wondering just what Izzy was about to find in Alec's blood.

"_I'm afraid of what I might find."_

That had been her reasoning to Jace when she selected Jonathan's blood first to test. Avoidance.

_Face your damn fear Izzy._

She had already completed Jonathan's tests. Had not revealed to him what she found, just that she needed to talk to Clary about it first. When she had asked Jace to give Clary's phone a call Jace had balked and said no. Leaving Izzy to call Clary, leaving her a voicemail to come to the lab when she got a chance. Jace had not explained why he did not want to call Clary and Izzy hadn't pushed.

He spun his stele, the weapon used to activate the angelic runes on a Shadowhunters body, through his fingers in a complicated twist, bringing it back around and flipping it to his other hand to continue.

"Would you stop doing that!?" exclaimed Izzy, snapping her dark head up to glare in Jace's direction, her pen stopping its writing. Jace fumbled, dropping the stele where it hit the ground with a loud snap. Two pieces skittering across the laboratory floor in opposite directions.

Jace gave her a sheepish smile, shoving his hands behind his blonde head in the hopes she didn't notice the broken stele on the floor.

"Pick. It. Up." She growled while pulling her own black hair back into a ponytail away from her face.

"Iz." He started to placate her, saw her dark eyes narrow further in his direction. "Fine. But that thing needs to hurry up." He bent to pick up the two pieces off the floor.

"That thing is a centrifuge. And these things take time. I'm not messing this up Jace. Alec needs us."

_Bloodwork isn't going to fix this._

Still he held an inkling of hope that it could be fixed with a wave of magic and a dose of medicine. Because Jace had no idea how to fix a broken soul.

"I was hoping Magnus could use his warlock magic to heal Alec. His knowledge of healing spells must be extensive." Izzy unknowingly spoke Jace's thoughts. "Maybe Alec could use his parabati around as well. Your bond must have some magic tied to this."

_Nope. Not answering that._

"Where did Magnus run and hide?" Jace dodged the invitation to delve into that, walking across the room to the bin for broken steles, tossed the two stele pieces into the pile of other weapons to be repaired. Izzy raised her dark eyebrow in his direction.

"Magnus, left to perform some research on damaged souls and how to extract magic from a body safely."

"Yeah. Right. So he can wave his hands and throw some blue sparkles at the problem. That's not going to fix Alec." He muttered more to himself, but Izzy still heard him.

"I sense some unresolved tension here. Jace, you know Magnus would have done anything in his power to save Alec."

"But he didn't!" Jace punched the bucket of broken weapons across the counter, watched it careen off into the floor where it crashed, spilling most of its contents across the floor. He ignored the mess, stepping over it towards Izzy. "He lost him! He said it himself. And now I can't feel anything from him." He knew he was close to crying, reared back away from her to stop any tears from spilling, eyes wide.

"But you know he is still in there." She pointed to his hip, where the parabati rune was hidden under his shirt. Her large eyes shown with understanding. "Whatever happened you two are strong enough to have survived it, together. Alec is infected, we can visibly see that. But he is a fighter, he always has been. You can throw him in a room filled with Shax demons and he would take them all down. You know he is stronger than this. He was always the more stable and rational one between the three of us. If anyone can pull through an Edomic infection it is him."

Jace shook his head. He had felt a small piece of what Alec had gone through. His rune still ached just standing in the room and he had been fighting an urge to go back down to Alec's cell and sleep outside the glass since they had finished their meeting two hours ago.

_Stupid idea._

"Izzy. I stood right in front of him. I touched him. I couldn't sense anything he was feeling. I don't know his state of mind and its fucking with my head." He admitted, brow furrowed trying to think. No one but Alec's sister would come close to understanding what he meant by this.

_Except that low pulse and burn._

That thought brought back the kiss. That kiss was screwing with his head more than it should have. He shoved the memory to the back of his head where it needed to stay. It kept coming back.

Izzy wrapped her arms around him. "When you were on the boat with Valentine. Alec said he couldn't feel you either. Maybe this is similar, just a block because of the injury from Edom."

_I didn't want him to find me back then._

"Izzy, it is not a block."

"All the more reason to discover what went wrong in Edom. Alec informed us he was alright, maybe he is. I counted 28 angelic runes on his body and that was without doing a full body scan. Those runes had to have done something for him. Also, they are males, you get body scan duty."

Jace shot her a look full of loathing at the last part. It was technically standard procedure, but everyone hated it. He also could not shake the feeling that Alec had lied to them about something, maybe all of it.

_Ding!_

The centrifuge started to slow and stop. Izzy broke away to go start the needed tests.

"Go get some food and bring me back some too. I've had something to focus on keeping my mind off Alec. You haven't. Go play piano or talk to Clary." She suggested while pulling the vial out and beginning to prep the slides.

Jace knew she was right. He had been hovering in her lab. Hiding, since their meeting had broken up. Mostly, with nothing to do but wait. He sighed out a grumbled "Fine." Before turning to do as she suggested.

"And don't forget to pick up this mess!" She hollered.

Jace grumbled but returned to pick up the mess he had made of her floor. Once finished he headed out in search of the piano.

_Not avoiding Clary. Yeah keep telling yourself that and one day you'll believe it._

o – o- o- o – o

The first note ringing out from the large black piano brought the same mixture of grief, pain, joy and love it always did. He pushed past like he always did and began to play Chopin. Nocturne Opus was one of his favorites.

_Play it right, you make a mistake I break a finger._

Jace let the past memory drift away before it sunk its nails in. Let his hands glide across the keys picking up pace and slowing at various parts of the song. Losing himself in the music. Letting the tension drain from his body, allowed his mind to drift and let his eyes fall half closed relying on muscle memory to continue the song. His fingers went right into another from Chopin, then Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, back to Chopin's Nocturne Opus. Always completing the entirety of composition before moving onto the next.

"I don't think I've ever heard you play."

Jace jumped slightly at Clary's soft voice from the doorway. He didn't want to deal with her right now. He had searched out the piano and its voice strictly to avoid her voice. It brought guilty thoughts full of heat back to the surface. With the guilt came the sorrow of the past couple days the music had briefly obliterated from his mind.

_Pathetic, you are the strongest._

He slowly met her gaze, knowing his blue and brown eyes held the sadness he had been feeling since capturing Alec.

"Yeah. I don't play around others." He slightly laughed at himself as he said it, eyes shooting to the side, before landing back on the piano before him.

_Played for Alec all the time._

"You know, before I met you. Simon and I were in a band together. Well, he would play all the songs. I just made the artwork." She meandered over before sitting down on the cushioned piano bench beside him. "I can hear the emotion in your music. It brings out the soul of what you feel. It's beautiful."

_I need…_

He did not want her to understand he was playing for himself. Didn't want her sympathy, didn't deserve it. Instead he returned to his old kneejerk reaction that had been ingrained in him most of his life.

"Clary, I don't feel anything. It's just a bunch of notes." He made a soft laugh, nearly a scoff when he said it.

Wrong thing to say. Clary's green eyes hardened. "Really? We're back to this now? This attitude is how you treated me when I first met you? Jace, I thought you had moved past this with me."

_Fuck off._

She continued lecturing, headless of the growing anger on his face. "Just because Alec got hurt doesn't mean you fall apart. The Jace I know doesn't fall apart. He doesn't let anything stop him."

"Alec is my parabati! He's more than just hurt. If we can't cure him our bond will break!" Jace argued, fists clenching over the keys.

"Alec survived it breaking before. Lucian survived it. Even your step-dad survived it! It happens all the time." She yelled back, standing up. "You know what? I came in here hoping for some sympathy from you about Jonathan. Obviously I was wrong." She stormed towards the door, red hair bouncing behind her.

He knew she was right. Parabati bonds broke for a number of reasons; death mostly, if one became a Silent Brother or Iron Sister, or if one became a downworlder. The angelic magic would fade or snap and so would the bond. What she didn't understand was just how painful that would be. Alec never told him what it felt like and Jace had been wrapped up in his own cowardice and problems to ask. The angel raising him from the dead had been a lot to deal with back then. Why the bond returned he just assumed was due to the Angel.

_Damnit. Fucking woman._

"Clary wait."

She paused, glanced back at him from the threshold of the door. Jace took a breath, forcing himself to bring his blue and brown eyes to stare into her green. "Look I'm sorry alright. The last few days have been a nightmare that I can't escape from. If there is some news about Jonathan, good or bad. I'd like to hear it."

She smiled softly, the anger in her green eyes shifting to something warmer. "Izzy's tests discovered that Jonathan has zero traces of demonic essence anywhere. He's a normal Shadowhunter. He can live a normal life."

_The murdering psycho._

His eyes widened. "You want to give a murderer another chance? Clary. He used you. He tried to kill you. He tried to kill all of us."

"He's still my brother. Valentine threw him away the moment he could. Jonathan wasn't even given a chance to learn what a normal family was supposed to feel like. Everything he has ever know has been taught to him by demons or told he was a monster by Valentine. What if. What if there is a way to rehabilitate him? He is not part demon anymore. He can live the life he was meant to have before Valentine experimented on him." Her voice was filling up with tears, begging him to understand.

"Clary this is insane. Jonathan will try to kill anyone for no other reason than he can."

"You don't know that."

"The Clave will never let him become a Shadowhunter." He stood from the piano bench, needing to move. Began pacing back and forth.

"He already proved himself as a Shadowhunter when he disguised himself as Sebastian. He was amazing as a Shadowhunter. He has knowledge that could help our cause. Expertise that would strengthen even your fighting skills." She tried to reason.

Jace was not hearing any of it. "The answer is no. I'm not giving that murdering psycho a free pass." Jace firmly informed her, staring into her green eyes trying to pierce the answer against her skull.

"Tough. I already called a Silent Brother to review him and begin rehabilitation."

_What the actual fuck._

"Clary. No! How would they even contain him? He could take out the entirety of the Brotherhood given half a chance."

"He won't. I talked to Jonathan myself. He's different now. I can see it." She pleaded.

_This is going to explode in my face._

"Does the Clave know? They were here earlier for the souls ejection point review."

"No. I had Magnus contact Brother Zachariah directly to examine Jonathan. Apparently, the Brotherhood can do a few things without the Clave knowing." She smirked.

"What about Alec?"

_Don't touch him. Please. Don't touch him. If the Clave knew how much Edom's magic had infected him they would quarantine Alec and kill him immediately._

"Well, I just assumed he would be examined as well. This way both get rehabilitated together. Everyone's problems are solved." She sounded so blasted pleased with herself.

_Never assume anything._

No. He couldn't let a Silent Brother know Alec was missing a chunk of his soul, knowing Magnus was aware was bad enough.

Jace adopted a casual forced stride past Clary, itching to sprint to Maryse and Lydia's joint Head of the Institute office. Heartbeat pounding in his chest the entire way there, Clary jogging to keep up with his quick pace. He shoved the heavy oak door open. He didn't bother knocking.

_Need to proceed with caution, this is Maryse._

Maryse sat at Alec's desk going over paperwork, blue light from the computer screen shining on her face, skin completely clear and bare of runes from her brief exile. She looked up leaning back in her chair when Jace and Clary arrived together.

"Clary wants to dispatch a Silent Brother to Alec and Jonathan's cell. You can't allow it." Jace stated angrily. The earlier reminder to himself failing to rein in his concern.

_There went caution._

Sometimes he hated how he couldn't be the perfect soldier.

"Your objection is noted. Why are you suddenly against the idea?" Maryse glanced between the two of them, observing the tension, before setting her pen down and pushing the paperwork to the side. "Jace. The Silent Brother was your idea. And it was a decent one."

_No it was most certainly not._

"No, it wasn't." Jace started to defend himself, crossing his arms across his chest.

His adoptive mother must have read his face, because she crossed her arms over her chest, expression shifting into a sterner one. "Yes, Jace, it was. You mentioned it when we first brought Alec and Jonathan in. At the time I did not feel it immediately necessary to bring a Silent Brother into this Institute. It would raise questions back in Idris. However, I can use Jonathan's strange recovery to have Alec looked at as well."

_Fuck, he did say that. _

That was before logic had sunk in later while sitting in Izzy's laboratory. Parabati bonds were sacred, usually if one of the halves was infected with enough demon blood to change into a vampire or werewolf the bond would break. Alec missing part of his soul had to mean something horrible to the Silent Brothers. Yet, the one Silent Brother Jace had interacted with had covered up whatever was going on with the bond.

_Brother Zachariah._

Maryse continued. "Clary came to me shortly after Izzy informed her of Jonathan's results. The Silent Brothers have always had ways of treating the mind that we cannot hope to accomplish here at the Institute. Their own rituals involve the soul. Something Alec will need. But Jonathan needs to be dealt with first. And we need a Silent Brother for that. I cannot let my personal problem interfere with the duty that is required of us."

An icy chill of rage went through Jace.

"You still put your reputation before your own son. After everything we have been through." Jace couldn't believe what he was hearing, her priorities.

_I thought you cared about Alec. He is your son._

"Jace. I'm following orders. Orders you would understand if you slowed down. The Clave has brought me back from exile because of Alec's sudden inability to lead this Institute. After Jonathan's decimation of our ranks they require anyone they can get. I presided over this Institute before. I will do so again. There are already questions concerning the decimation of Edom by one single Shadowhunter. People are talking. They need answers to Jonathan's presence here and this Institute needs to show it can still function without Alec. If word got out about Alec's health, they may not wait to have a Silent Brother look at him. They may order him killed."

Jace locked his shoulders back, digging his fingers into his arms where he still had them crossed. Usually, Maryse treated him as the favored son, the perfect warrior, he could still gain some traction for Alec.

"Only Brother Zachariah. No one else." Jace demanded, still uneasy about the idea. He held Maryse's gaze not backing down until he saw her nod once.

_I'm not going to lose him to the Brotherhood._

"Thank you Jace." Clary sounded relieved.

A knock on the heavy door sounded.

"Mom. It's Izzy. I have Alec's results." Isabelle's muffled voice carried through the door.

"We will discuss this further at tomorrow's conference. Go get some rest. You look like you both need it. Dismissed." Maryse ended the conversation and returned to her work fully expecting them to obey.

"I'm staying." Jace announced, planting his feet harder into the floor as if that would stop Maryse from throwing him out if she wanted too. Clary moved to the door to open it for Isabelle.

Maryse gave him a long look, weighing her next decision. He saw her brown eyes flicker towards her daughter in the doorway. "Clary, dismissed. Jace, stay." She leaned forward and motioned for Isabelle to come in with a wave of her hand. Clary closed the door quietly behind her and left.

Jace remained locked where he stood. He felt Isabelle approach until she stood beside Jace facing Maryse. A quick glance told him Izzy was still in her white lab coat, file clenched tightly in her hands.

"Well, what did you discover?" Maryse's sharp voice would sound demeaning to anyone who didn't know her. Jace understood it as a demand.

Jace clenched his hands against his elbows harder, digging. Izzy took a deep breath as if to steady herself. "Alec has both angelic and demonic essences inside him."

"So what is he a Seelie now?" Jace tried to cover his nerves with a vague joke. Fingers digging into his arms hard enough to start bruising now.

Maryse remained silent only crossing her arms and leaning further back in her chair.

"I'm not entirely certain. It appears to be from Edom. So definitely not Seelie. I would put him closer to a warlock as their magic comes directly from Edom and other hellish realms." Izzy chanced a glance at Jace, tears shining in her eyes, before facing Maryse again. "Mom, the amount of demonic essence should have changed him into an Endarkened."

_Demonic Shadowhunter._

Maryse was silent for a long moment. "Will it?" Maryse whispered, blinking back her own tears for her son.

"It won't. That's the only good news I have. It appears to be locked in a stalemate with his angelic essence."

_English please._

"Which means what exactly?" Jace inquired. "Can we just inject him with the remaining vial of heavenly fire?"

Izzy sat down in the nearby chair, looking exhausted, smoothing out her lab coat. "It would work if we had any left. The last vial was stolen sometime between making the sword that broke Clary free and Lucian gaining his runes back."

_This can't be real._

"Do we have any options?" Maryse asked, wiping a hand under her eyes.

Izzy smiled slightly, a brief flicker of hope forming in her eyes. "Either Simon or Jace can donate their blood, I can filter out the angel essence from their blood and maybe make another weapon or serum from that. But it will take time."

Jace found he couldn't stop blinking his eyes, kept trying to swallow around the lump in his throat. He felt more than saw Maryse get up from her chair to come around the desk and give Isabelle a tight hug. Knew he was next. Stumbled away from the two of them.

"I need to get to Alec."

He sprinted out of the room. He didn't care how it appeared to the others at that moment. There was a glass pane separating him from his parabati that he needed to reach.

O – o – o – o – o

_Thump._

Alec's opened his dark eyes, glanced over at Jonathan only to find the red haired man asleep on his side, back pressed to the wall. He had been resting, drifting really. His side had not let him get a decent amount of shut eye and it seemed insistent on making his life miserable. He vaguely wanted to carve it off his body. Granted his arm wasn't fairing much better as it gave him a sting of disapproval at its mutilated state when he rolled over.

_Least it makes it easier to carve the angel rune every hour._

_Shuffle, shuffle. Thump._

Adrenaline jolted his body awake, he did a quick scan around the room again turning his dark head towards the glass pane of their adjoined cell, squinting his eyes to peer through the gloom and spotted a lump of cloth. Blankets and a dark blonde head sticking out.

_Jace?_

His heartbeat eased off. Alec sighed and tried rolling himself back over, intent on going back to sleep. He was still bitter about Jace refusing to let him out of this cage. Jace's faith in him was obviously still zero.

_He never listens to me._

His rune had lost some of its frigid cold at least. The warmth lulling him back towards sleep. He let his arm fall to his side where it gave another sting when it hit the floor. He shook himself awake. Right, the angelic rune. Brought his left arm up and proceeded to etch the rune into his skin with his fingernails again, closing his eyes against the pain. Welcoming the burn when the rune was completed. Why it was activating without a stele he wasn't sure, but whatever the reason it was keeping him sane for the moment.

_Yeah, because you've been incredibly sane since you left Edom._

Alec growled at himself, glanced back over at Jace. The body now lay quiet.

_You better be asleep._

He inched closer, froze for a second when Jace shifted slightly. Then proceeded to army crawl, favoring his right arm, across the floor to the glass wall. Jace lay sleeping on the concrete floor on the other side. Pillow tucked under his head, arms wrapped around it in a choke hold.

Alec thought he would feel several different emotions upon seeing his parabati up close again, anger or that obliterating feeling of passion he had thought he was over. Relief was not one of them, but the rush of relaxation felt amazing as his muscles finally unclenched from the coil they had been locked in since he'd given his blood sample to Jace. He lay down opposite Jace, mirroring his body, pressing his back against the glass and let the warmth coming from his rune lull him to sleep.

O – o – o – o – o

The sword glowed in his hands as Jace brought the seraph blade from over his head down to directly in front of his chest. Spun to face the opposite direction and repeated the maneuver, eyes closed as he tried to picture the attack in his mind. Slow breath in, slow breath out. Turned, directed his blade into a slash to the side. Another rotation and he spun the blade back and forth in an attack.

"Come on Jace, meeting in 10." Izzy called as she walked by the main training room. Coffee in her hand, normal tight red dress in place of her white lab coat, dark makeup.

Jace didn't acknowledge just continued practicing the form until he ended it by slashing the sword back and forth twice in front of him followed by a lunging stab forward. Stood up and hollered after her. "I'll be there."

He turned the blade off and headed down to the Ops Center for the meeting Maryse had scheduled for them earlier. Rounding the corner he spotted red hair moving his way.

_I don't want to deal with this._

"Where were you last night?" Clary demanded as she approached him. Her tiny body still smaller than he expected after only a couple months of training as a Shadowhunter.

"Sleeping."

"Really? With who?" She glared, eyes spitting fire. "Because you never came to bed."

They were fast approaching the meeting room and Jace could hear voices from beyond. He had severe reservations about showing up arguing with Clary in front of everyone. Even more reservations about telling her he had slept on the concrete in front of Alec's cell.

_Think. Fast._

"No one. I didn't sleep in my room. Slept in Izzy's."

_Please, don't ask Izzy._

Clary left his side and walked straight towards Izzy. Jace hurried to catch up.

"Izzy."

"Izzy!"

They both exclaimed at the same time. Jace begged Izzy silently, from behind Clary, to respond to him first, one hand reaching slightly out toward her before he dropped it.

Clary turned to glance back at Jace before whipping back around to look at Izzy, eyes flitted between the two trying to discern an answer to whatever question she had in her head.

"Jace sleep in your room last night?" Blunt and direct as always. Izzy's eyes slid over to Jace where he kept silently begging her to say yes.

"Yeah, we stayed up talking after our discussion with mom." Izzy said slowly, still looking between the two of them.

_Thank you._

Jace let out a tiny sigh of relief. His eyes slid towards Clary, hoping she had not noticed the nonverbal exchange between himself and Izzy.

There was still a tension in her body and her lips were turned down into a small grimace of irritation. Jace expected her to continue her verbal assault only for her to turn her head towards him, a soft smile flicker onto her face and ask, "You ok?"

"Yeah. Yeah. We're both fine." Jace assured her, grabbing the top of the chair in front of him.

Clary swung her gaze back and forth between Jace and Izzy, before turning and finding a seat near Simon not far away.

"Want to tell me what that was about?" Izzy whispered, dark eyebrows raised in a sort of mock. She knew his reputation with women from the past. Which was terrible, he had typically just found short relationships that lasted no longer than a couple of weeks at most.

"Not really."

Clary had been his first stable relationship and now he couldn't seem to focus enough to even want her. All because that blistering kiss he couldn't keep out of his head.

"You can talk to me if you two are having a rough patch you know." Izzy squeezed his arm before sitting down near Simon, smoothing out her red dress as she did, dark runes standing out on her arms.

_Not happening._

Jace threw himself into the chair in front of him just as Maryse walked in, went to grab his stele to start playing with it only to realize he had shattered it last night and had not bothered to retrieve a new one from the armory. Shoved his hands behind his blonde head instead and looked across the table. Magnus sat directly across from him, wearing some expensive tailored black suit and ridiculously expensive red shirt, complete with his glittery makeup. He was monitoring Jace with a sharp, knowledgeable gaze.

"Trouble in paradise?" Magnus flippantly inquired, sipping what appeared to be a cocktail complete with umbrella sticking out the top.

_I would love a drink too._

Jace glowered at him, refusing to respond.

"Let's begin shall we." Maryse stood straight and tall before all of them. Her eyes briefly flickered towards Magnus and his obviously alcoholic drink before deeming it not worth her time. "Isabelle completed the blood tests on both Alec and Jonathan last night. Given the severity of the results I have deemed it necessary to bring in Brother Zachariah to review both of them. Jace, Simon you will begin donating blood to Isabelle at the lab. She intends to make an antidote with the angelic properties in your blood. Magnus, as the High Warlock of Brooklyn, will begin applying his magic to transfuse some of the Edomic magic out of Alec each day until he is healed. Jonathan's mental state will be determined by the Silent Brother. _IF_ he truly is cured of his demonic side he will either be sent to the Silent Brothers or the Clave. Dismissed."

"You can't do that." Clary shouted, slamming her hands down as she stood up, all energy and self-righteousness.

"I can. And I will." Maryse remarked calmly with a bit of steel, back still straight.

"You told me we can try and rehabilitate him!" Clary stomped around the large table towards Maryse, eyes pleading.

"That is precisely what the Silent Brothers will do. Rehabilitate him. But he must answer for his crimes and for that he will need to stand before the soul sword and the Clave." The steel in her voice didn't waver, arms still calmly at her sides as Clary stormed past muttering to herself about the Clave.

Jace did not believe for one second Jonathan could be rehabilitated. He had murdered hundreds. The soul sword killing Jonathan would be an excellent blessing in his mind, Clary would be devastated though.

Magnus took a sip of his drink, swirling it in his hand. "I'm sure Biscuit will be fine. Not everyone understands her sympathies towards that evil ex-demonic sibling of hers."

"Yeah. You and me both." Jace laughed uncomfortably aware he should be following her, eyes still on the door where Clary had stormed out. Instead he turned his head back to Maryse, leaning forward in his chair. "I was thinking of giving Alec a blood transfusion instead. Wouldn't that work?"

"The heavenly fire power in your blood would be frail in that form." Izzy commented. "I already considered it."

Jace crossed his arms and leaned back looking at Magnus. "Couldn't you just drag the demonic essence out of him all at once? Use your magic."

Magnus had been observing him carefully since the meeting started and it was starting to make Jace's skin itch. Jace kept his face impassively blank, rubbed his fingers against his palm, missing his stele.

"That would kill him. Immediately. The amount of demonic power Alec was exposed to isn't like being exposed to regular demon ichor. He would have needed to bleed himself nearly to death breaking all seven Edomic seals. The hellish explosion afterwards would have filled his veins with that power. It should have killed him." Magnus's eyes flickered towards Jace's side. The weight of that golden gaze on his rune turned something sharp in Jace.

"Well it didn't." Jace snapped.

"No, it didn't. Instead he survived because his soul was stretched between two places at once." Magnus calmly stated.

Jace's hand dropped to the parabati rune under his shirt, shielding it. Heterochromia eyes locked with the warlock's glitter covered orbs. He suspected the warlock knew something Jace didn't.

_What are you hiding?_

"Let me spell it out to you, Jace. Alexander will not get better. You may remove Edom's taint from his body and he will heal, physically. But most of his soul has left. There is no coming back from that." A firm, finality in his voice that had Jace resisting the urge to run back down to Alec's cell and curl up on the floor where he had woken that morning. He resisted it, barely, body frozen instead.

Silence hung in the room. Simon shifted uncomfortably. Izzy gave a soft sob. Maryse pulled the chair in front of her out and sat down heavily.

Jace unfroze, reared back standing up, eyes clenching tight, before snapping open, zeroing in on Magnus in rage. "Alec is paying the price of your decision!"

"And you should never have let him come to Edom in the first place." Magnus's hissed softly, magic flickered angrily to the surface, sparks of blue jumping off his hand around the drink he was still holding.

"Let's work…" Maryse brought her palms down sharply on the table trying to interrupt them.

"Use your magic, warlock. He sacrificed everything for you. Do something!" Jace snarled, heterochromia eyes glaring daggers at Magnus.

"Jace. That's enough." Maryse ordered.

Jace stared at Magnus, taking a step back, head shaking side to side slightly. Tried searching for Alec's soul through the rune again. The same warmth followed by razor ice. The rune pulsed and burned when he reached again.

_Please don't leave me, Alec._

He turned to leave, shoulder hitting the side of the doorway as he jogged out. There was only one place he wanted to be now.

O – O –O – O – O

The door to Alec and Jonathan's cell hissed open before Jace, taking a breath in, he shoved the cart full of supplies forward, the two buckets sloshing water over the sides. He may as well complete the task Izzy wanted from him as well.

_Get him injected and get out._

The first thing he noticed upon entering was that there was no strong body sleeping pressed against the glass wall. A quick sweep of the room had his eyes landing on the two current prisoners. Alec was seated next to Jonathan across the room, oddly intimate with his right arm stretched across the others lap.

_That's not weird at all._

Alec's gaze flickered from Jace to Jonathan before locking on Jace's face. Neither Jonathan nor Alec moved from their spot leaning against the wall.

Jace found himself hesitating which was unlike him, observing Alec's right arm stretched out across Jonathan's lap, littered in new bloody angelic runes. Jonathan hadn't stopped the mauling of Alec's arm until he had completed the newest rune, something vaguely sharp between his fingers. Mission reflexes kicking in, brought Jace to high alert.

_He has a weapon._

"A stele would be excellent." Jonathan's green eyes clocked the movements of Jace from across the room, his casual polished voice flowing across the room easily. "It would be rather conducive to healing your parabati."

"He's not here to hurt us." Alec commented mildly, pulling his arm from Jonathan's grasp.

Jace watched a tremor travel up Alec's arm as he pushed to a stand. Jace pulled the cell remote from his pocket along with his new stele, hit a couple buttons to shift the invisible barriers in the room around allowing for him to place the buckets and clean clothes without needing to worry about the two attacking him.

"Nope. Jonathan stand over there, drop what's in your hand. Alec stand there." He picked up the buckets from the cart and dropped them at the indicated points. "Wash up. I've got bandages for your wounds." Jace informed them, dropping the clothes close to each bucket before crossing his arms in front of his chest as he stared down at the pair across from him. Vaguely wondering if the barriers would still allow Alec to cross them or not since they were set to detect demonic presence.

"Bit demanding isn't he?" Jonathan asked Alec, ignoring Jace, as he flicked a tiny piece of metal across the room where it bounced harmlessly against the floor. Jace couldn't make out what the bit of metal was from this distance.

"Do as he says. You argue with him, you won't see Clary." Alec replied, moving to the indicated spot.

Jace kept his eyes flicking between the two as he walked over to the bit of metal, picking it up. It was no bigger than his fingernail, bent out of shape until it was impossible to discern where Jonathan had even found the scrap.

Jonathan glanced at the clock, finally standing up and wandering over to the indicated spot. "I give it 10 minutes before he sees what you really are." He taunted Alec, before stripping off his clothes efficiently and began washing. Jace noted two faded demonic symbols on Jonathan's chest.

Jace wasn't surprised by the nudity. This particular cell was designed as an isolation cell and lacked most amenities the usual cell would house. The surprise came from witnessing Alec strip without complaint or blush. Jace felt a strange awkward tension fill him, forced his gaze to sweep clinically over Alec as he washed. He was here to observe for Izzy, search for any additional demonic runes and injuries that were unaccounted for. Apparently, Simon's suggestion to just knock them out and strip them to search was frowned upon. Jace had felt torn between agreeing with Simon and arguing on Alec's defense.

_Right arm needs healing Iratze. Parabati rune enflamed. Wrist swollen._

Alec turned to the side, leaning down to continue washing when he saw them. Three demonic symbols scrawled across his back. He obviously couldn't have drawn them there himself. Jace eyed Jonathan distrustfully. Jonathan ignored him in favor of the bucket of water. The water hitting the floor from each of the detainees was a mild rust red. Watching the blood wash off Alec's arm made his stomach drop, black lines following his veins interlocking with the bloody angelic rune. Some were written over Alec's normal runes as well digging deep under the skin.

_Demonic infection certain. Mundane infection probable._

"So what are the demonic runes used for?" he asked just to fill the silence, waving an arm towards Alec's body. Alec's whole body tensed and his eyes searched out Jonathan's form.

_That was strange behavior._

"Breathing, extra blood, and stamina." Jonathan responded simply, but Jace could see him watching Alec carefully.

"Somehow I doubt those work similarly to our angelic runes. Your twinning rune overrode Clary's ability to think for herself. What do these do?" Jace kept his arms crossed in front of him, refusing to fidget in front of nudity.

Jonathan shrugged, pulling on the clean pants that were on the cart, grabbing the shirt next. Alec had stopped moving for the most part, hand itching his side, water dripping down his body. Jace felt his gaze being drawn back toward his body, examining the demonic runes on Alec's back.

"I made him live long enough to complete the ritual that broke his boyfriend out. You should be thanking me."

_Yeah. Still don't know why you did that._

Alec's harsh inhale and strange jerky movement had Jonathan lunging across the room, only to come up short from the barriers Jace had erected earlier with the remote.

Jace automatically leapt between them, crossing the unseen threshold of one barrier. "Back off, Jonathan. You've done enough damage to him."

"I have, have I?" Jonathan sneered. Green eyes locking onto Jace before flickering towards Alec behind him.

Too late. Jace had not forgotten the viciousness Alec had displayed earlier, but habit had placed his back to Alec. Two strong arms came around his neck in a choke hold, hauling Jace up against a wet body, pressing hard and cutting off his air supply. Jace instantly threw his body weight back and then forward, bringing his hands up to dig in between the space between his neck and the arms cutting his breath off. His parabati rune flared to life bringing with it that strange burning heat.

"You are going to give back what is mine." Alec snarled, wet, muscled body pressed tightly to Jace soaking his clothes. Jace threw himself backwards, flailing his legs and kicking off the floor searching for anything he could throw Alec into that would loosen his grip. They hit the wall. Jace reached up and grabbed Alec's wet black hair and pulled as hard as he could throwing the body over his shoulder.

"You want something, ask for it. I'll give it to you." Jace snapped at him before striding over to Alec and grabbing him around the neck with one hand intent on throwing Alec across the room. He froze. Alec's eyes weren't brown, they were pure demonic black.

_No._

The rune at his side flared wildly out of control. A mouth collided with his, moving feverishly against it. His brain must have gone into shock, there was no other reason to explain what he did next. The hand he had around Alec's neck slipping around and hauling Alec closer, kissing him back. A hot tongue slid across his teeth, before teeth bit his lower lip, ensnaring it, breaking the skin there. Alec's hand had fisted into his dark blonde hair at some point ensuring Jace remained stationary. A very wet, naked Alec pressed to his front.

_Fuck._

Jace drew back, struggling to regain some control over what had just happened. Jace licked his lips tasting salt and iron. Alec's throat bobbed once, eyes fading from black to brown.

_That was not supposed to happen again._

The silence held only their ragged breathing, even Jonathan was frozen in his spot.

_Focus on why you are here._

Jace's mismatched eyes stared into brown once more. He reached into his back pocket slowly, grabbing the syringe he had brought with him and slammed it into Alec's shoulder, depressing the needle. Alec's eyes flew wide in surprise. Jace couldn't help the wicked grin that crossed his face.

_Demon welcome my angel blood._

"What did you give me?" Alec stammered, backing away and yanking the needle out of his arm.

"Sedative." Jace shrugged. "Go get dressed." He tried to cover his confusion and shock with some normalcy.

Alec blinked, frowned, and then blushed dark red before stumbling over to pull pants on. "Just….just don't touch me."

_You touched me first! Again!_

Jace took a breath, trying to calm the whirling confusion and heat that had just blasted through his body. Time to finish this mission and get out, hopefully with dignity still intact.

"I told you, tremors and fever. Getting worse, Nephilim. Should ask your parabati to start carving those runes into you." Jonathan commented darkly, arms resting against the barrier separating them, he appeared not to care that it was burning his skin.

Alec rolled his eyes, but the moment his gaze flickered towards Jace it dropped to the ground, a harsh sound of pain escaping him, fists clenching tight.

Jace had no idea what Alec was thinking. Jonathan's comments adding tension to his shoulders. The only fact he did know was that he was about to approach a deadly warrior that was spiraling out of control. The whiplash of emotions Alec's actions were causing in him forming a need to do something.

"Alright. Easy now. Jonathan get off the damn barrier. Alec I'm going to come over there and draw the Iratze runes on you." Jace ordered, mind still scrambling to regain control of this whole situation.

Alec's entire body froze, neck so taut he could see corded tendons sticking out. "You'll regret it."

"Don't think I will." Jace ignored the threat, approaching slowly.

"Don't push me."

"Not pushing you." Jace whispered stopping in front of Alec, stele in hand, hands up. "We're on the same side."

Alec still refused to meet his gaze, body hunched over. Jace reached out with both hands to press against the skin on the mangled arm, slowly starting to draw the Iratze in gold. Alec's entire body shuddered, breathing uneven, when the rune activated, its gold seeping from his skin. Jace drew his hand down the arm tracing the dark black lines of demonic infection before retracing the rune again. The mangled angelic runes healed into something more faded, the demonic symbols on his chest fading slightly.

He chanced a glance up at Alec's face, his brow furrowed when he saw it still turned away.

He moved slowly to Alec's back afraid he might set off another violent attack, but Alec barely moved just kept his head turned to the side looking down. Brushed his hand against Alec's back in warning, watching goosebumps form before drawing a set of six Iratze around the three demonic symbols.

"Huh. Guess parabati bonds are sturdier than believed." Jonathan's low comment carried across the silence of the room. "You aren't dead yet."

Jace ignored him. Walked away from Alec, grabbing the dropped syringe, before returning with bandages for Alec's arm. Alec shifted to a more comfortable seated position. Jace started smearing everything in a salve before wrapping the bandages around Alec's arm efficiently, listening to Alec's breathing finally even out. Letting his fingers find Alec's temple before sliding down to the nape of his neck briefly before brushing down and away, telling himself he was checking for a fever. His parabati rune didn't feel so irritated now, but that pulse and burn was still lodged against his skin, slowly driving a feeling into his body he tried to dismiss.

"Alright, Jonathan, your turn. Any injuries that need to be addressed?" Jace questioned, standing up and moving away from where Alec had sunk to the floor.

"Well, I am perfectly healthy. I have your Nephilim to thank for that. Seems he couldn't let a wayward soul die in Edom."

_Great. I came in here to help solve these problems not add to the fucking list._

O – O – O – O – O – O

"Well, here's the list of all known injuries and infections for Alec and Jonathan." Jace set the tablet down on the nearby desk as soon as he entered the armory. Clary was standing across the weapons worktable from her. Both were engrossed in cleaning various weapons of theirs. The entire room smelled of oil and metal. All sides of the room held various weapons displays and hidden nooks for more weapons to be stored.

Isabelle looked up from her work, smirked, then out-right laughed. "What happened to you?"

_Alec happened._

Jace glared. He was not about to explain anything that happened down in that cell. He had wanted to change before finding Izzy but lost that opportunity on his way to his room when he had run into several other Shadowhunters on the way needing Shadowhunter advice or requesting training time slots. So here he stood still damp from the fight with Alec, lip still swollen and bloody from the kiss.

"Got in a fight with Alec." He tossed back smiling cockily. "I won."

"With a wet towel?" she deadpanned, eyebrow raised.

"You sent me down there to check on their condition. Not my fault they had issues with a bath and a few healing runes." He leaned one shoulder against the wall near her workbench smiling down at her. Disregarding the strange sensation that went through his stomach at the thought of his dark haired parabati.

"Well, what did you find?" inquired Isabelle, picking up the tablet, eyes scanning the document. "Good, Alec responded positively to the Iratze runes. Odd…Jonathan has zero injuries."

"Yeah I thought so too."

"Could this be more evidence that Jonathan is healed from the injections he received as a baby?" inquired Clary, her green eyes raked over Jace's damp form.

"Maybe." Jace pushed off the wall and sauntered over to the biohazard bin dropping the used syringe inside.

"You had to sedate one of them?" Izzy's eyes narrowed in mild concern, head cocking to the side.

"Who?" Clary immediately questioned after Izzy spoke.

_Here this goes._

"Alec. It was the only way I could get close enough to place the runes."

_Not exactly a lie._

"Are you ok?" Clary earnestly asked, leaving the worktable and coming toward him. She attempted to touch him but he dodged smoothly away.

"Yeah. Of course. Why wouldn't I be? It's Alec. I know how he fights. But Izzy I will need some more of those needles and a few blood sample containers."

Izzy appeared slightly confused by the request but relented. "Of course." She went over to her drawer of supplies and pulled out a pack of needles and a few empty containers before handing them over. All were empty. Then set the drug vial on the worktable in front of Jace.

_Perfect._

"Clary, don't you have training with Jace and Simon soon?" Izzy asked.

_Crap, she suspected something._

"Yeah, in about an hour." Clary responded.

"I have an idea. You want to show off that new skill I have been teaching you? Go start warming up, take Simon with you. Maybe two against one will prove Jace wrong as the fastest, strongest, and fiercest."

Clary smiled brightly, loving the idea of a challenge. "Jace, I'm going to win today."

Ever since joining their team she had been trying to outdo Jace and Alec in any capacity she could find. Ok, mostly Alec if Jace was honest. Those two held a competitive edge towards each other that Jace still hadn't figured out. Unfortunately, for Clary, she had yet to find anything she could best them in except drawing the runes the angels sent her.

"I think I'm still going to kick your ass!" He grinned back as she headed out the door.

"I'm going to go shelve these and head down to training." Jace stated, grabbing the vial off the workbench to add to the pile.

"Oh, no. You get to tell me what is going on with you." She smirked evilly at him, as if she found something amusing.

_I'm kissing Alec._

"I can't do this right now. I have training to get too." Jace couldn't quite meet her eyes, spun on his heel and left quickly.

"Jace! She told me that ever since your illness you refuse to be intimate with her."

_What the hell Clary!_

Jace stopped walking, spun around and angrily approached Isabelle. "So we hit a rough patch, like every relationship does." He jabbed a finger at Isabelle's chest. "She doesn't need to complain to you about what we do or do not do together." Jace was trembling in anger, the parabati rune was heating up rapidly.

"Jace? Hey it's ok. I'm not going to judge. Look, I don't have a perfect track record with guys. I just started dating Simon. But I just wanted you to know you can talk to me if you need to about relationships. I might not have the best advice, but I can listen." She was looking at him with a mix of concern and pity.

_Listen to me fu…_

He viciously cut that thought off. Even as the heat from his parabati rune continued to pulse through his body. Tried rolling his shoulders back to stand normally and release the anger.

"Iz. I'm not sure where Clary and I stand right now and I'd appreciate it if you could back off long enough for me to figure it out."

"Right." She looked mildly annoyed and disbelief was written clearly across her face.

He sighed, rubbing his hand across his face, asking for patience. "Ever since Alec's injury the parabati bond hasn't felt completely normal. It has me on edge and sex is the last thing on my mind lately. I'm sorry that Clary is taking this poorly but she needs to learn that I'm connected to another person."

Isabelle's dark eyes lit with some inner understanding, lips curving up into a wicked smirk. "So until Alec gets better you can't have sex?"

_That is so not what I just said._

"Fucking hell Iz. You know that's not what I mean." Jace threw his arms out in exasperation.

"Kind of sounded like it." She was smiling broadly now, holding back laughter. "You know, once Alec gets better, I'm totally hanging that you can't have sex without him over his head. He'll be permanently mortified, that or Magnus will convince you to do a threesome."

_Didn't need the mental imagery._

"Iz!"

O – O – O – O – O – O

Darkness and light, the two dichotomies had always fascinated Alec. Two halves of the same whole always needing the other to show the other it existed.

This had been Alec's life for as long as he could remember. The Institutes leader that was never good enough. The brother that sinned for loving the one he should not. His own self-hatred that made him want to kill himself verse the struggle to survive.

The cold floor was still wet. He passed his hand across the bright light above him letting the shadow pass over his face, shielding his dark brown eyes.

"How does sanity feel?" Jonathan drawled from across the room.

Alec rubbed his hand over his eyes, before sitting up from where he had been laying on the floor. "It feels like living. You said "Life is a struggle." Well, so is sanity."

"Do you think I'm sane now?" Jonathan asked for the hundredth time since their escape from Edom.

_No._

"You still enjoy pain. You still have an obsession over your sister…" he slid his hands through the dirty water, watching the muck make intricate patterns around one hand.

"She is my sister. She loves me. It's not an obsession." Jonathan leaned forward on his arms, corner of one lip turning up in a slight snarl.

Alec looked up at the lights above him briefly, licking his lips. "You also saved me. So you have some twisted sense of sanity in that head of yours."

"I'm the twisted one?"

_Don't remind me._

Alec did not want to go over the massive sins he had committed since exiting Edom. The killing and Jace. Every time Jace got near him he lost all sense of reason.

"How did you deal with it?"

Jonathan smiled, showing his teeth. "I didn't. Do you hate me for it?"

_Not anymore._

"I think I'm supposed too. You killed again and again without reason or remorse." He shrugged, looking at the brilliant green of Jonathan's eyes.

Something flickered across Jonathan's face, his eyes closing off. "I did. But I can be good, for Clary. But….how do you be good?"

Alec didn't have an answer to that. His own internal battle slowly driving him towards a madness a larger and larger part wanted to cave too. That part that killed the two shadowhunters he had under his own command, he knew them. The part that wanted to rip Jace apart.

_Think of the opposite._

"Love. If you love something I don't think you are supposed to kill it."

"My mother wanted me dead. Father sent me to Edom. He claimed he loved me." Jonathan said tonelessly.

"Your father didn't care about you. He used you." Alec stated flatly.

"Just like your lovely parabati does not care about you? He seemed rather interested in returning your advances. Or is he only using you?" Jonathan advanced towards Alec slowly, grinning, teeth flashing. "That was not a sedative. You haven't tried to attack me in three hours."

"That's because he drew several new healing runes on me rather than just digging his nails in like a caveman." Alec snapped, slapping his hand down into the dirty water. The fact Jonathan had brought up Jace had his hackles rising.

"Next time I'll leave you to Edom's magic." Jonathan growled back eyes flashing briefly before turning to some unknown emotion.

Alec stared at him blankly, piecing together the turmoil Jonathan must be going through with detachment. The red haired man had no one. Alec's non-infected self had decided to protect Jonathan long enough to escape Edom. Jonathan had in turn helped him through those first terrible days even bringing him blood when they first exited.

"Just come over here." He patted the spot beside him, splashing the water slightly.

"Unlike your demented mind. I am not sitting in that. Come to me." Jonathan turned his body towards his usual spot against the wall and slid down the wall, kicking his legs out in front of him.

Alec didn't move. But after 30 minutes of silence Alec pulled himself up, noting the icy burn in his rune growing stronger, before stalking over to Jonathan. Jonathan just leaned his red haired head back in an unspoken challenge. Alec slid to the floor next to him holding his right arm out to Jonathan.

Jonathan inspected the healing iratze runes Jace had drawn on earlier, tracing each one carefully, found an open spot and dug his nails in harshly tearing open the skin. Alec grit his teeth together and said nothing.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

A small body bounded around the corner to the breakfast hall. Jace spotted the blur and side stepped quickly. Reaching out an arm in an attempt to slow the brown flash down, only for said brown flash to slam directly into Clary who had been walking beside Jace.

"Max!" Jace admonished. "No running in the halls."

Max recovered from his bounce easily, grinned broadly before shoving a piece of paper into both Jace and Clary's faces. "I'm getting more runes!"

Jace squinted at the illegible paper flailing in front of his face before plucking it out of Max's grasp. "Acceleration, Action, Elemental shields….Max this is awesome. Is this because of how well you tracked Alec and Jonathan?"

"Duh. I'm the best tracker in history. Mom says if I keep studying I can learn every rune and have it applied. I'll be better than you. I'll be awesome!" He was practically bouncing in place with glee in the middle of the hallway.

"Congratulations Max. I didn't know there was a ceremony for more runes." The red head beside Jace told Max.

"So when is the big party?" Jace smiled, proud of Max for such a huge accomplishment.

"Mom wanted the party because I'm adding 5 new runes at once. And they usually just have the one celebration for the angelic rune, but since my awesome abilities brought my brother home, mom wanted to make it special." Massive smile still on his face bouncing back and forth in excitement, before darting off to his next victim to invite. "Time is on the paper!"

Jace glanced down at the paper. It was directly before Alec's review with the Silent Brother. An uneasy feeling twisted his gut, making his appetite for breakfast vanish altogether.

_Crap._

The parabati rune gave a warning pulse. Sending his mind down a path towards the dark haired man locked in a cell several floors below him.

"Jace? Come on, let's go get breakfast down before training." Clary touched his shoulder.

He jerked away, breathe rushing back in. "Yeah. Don't forget we need to feed the masses."

Clary quirked an eyebrow at him. "I'm sure Jonathan and Alec can sit and stew in whatever misguided decisions they made before we deliver breakfast to their ungrateful selves."

_Little harsh for Clary._

Jace scanned Clary's face trying to figure out what that comment really entailed, decided it was not worth the danger of revealing anything happening in his life right now.

"Come on." He headed in the direction of the food, grabbing two platters as he went and started loading them up. Clary joining him with two as well.

Once the plates had been filled, Jace threw them all on a cart and headed down towards the cells, not really caring if Clary chose to sit with Izzy and eat or follow him. She hurried to catch up.

"Jace, wait. Slow down for a second." Clary gained ground at the elevator, dropping her own two plates on the cart. "Look I don't know why you suddenly hate me or if this is just some misguided attempt to push me away, but it is not going to work. We've been through so much together. I brought you back from the Owl. You brought me back from Jonathan."

_Come here. It's time…_

That whispered voice froze him for a moment, hands clenching tightly to the cart, dumping ice and panic through his body. Thank the Angel he was already standing still.

_Push it away. It is not real._

Only it had been real for a time before he was cut free. He logically knew that he was fine, which did not explain the sudden panic. He shoved the thoughts away, pushed them to the back of his mind to join others he did not want to acknowledge.

"Alec and Magnus brought me back. You knew something was wrong and you never said anything to Alec." Jace kept his voice even.

"I trusted you when you told me not to tell him." Clary snapped.

_Maybe you shouldn't trust me._

The elevator doors pinged and opened. Jace shoved the cart of food in and punched the button for the lowest level where Alec and Jonathan were being held. Clary shoved her way into the elevator with him. His parabati rune started to heat as they descended. Jace swallowed, nerves plunging through his stomach as he realized just how volatile Alec had been with him every time they were in a room together and now he had Clary right beside him to witness it all.

_Just my luck._

"Look, Clary, we have been through a lot in the half a year we have known each other. I can't keep doing this with you." Jace began, acutely aware he was trapped in a small enclosed space with the girl that claimed to love him, when his entire body seemed to want to be elsewhere.

"Are you breaking up with me? Now?" She sounded both angry and hurt, green eyes filling with tears.

"No, I just think maybe we need to take a break. Breathe for a moment where life is not trying to fall down around us." He forced himself to look into her hurt eyes, willed his body not to turn and run to another as soon as the elevator doors pinged open.

"So you are breaking up with me." She snapped, eyes flashing brighter, hands coming to her hips. "Is this about Alec?"

_Everything is about Alec._

"Look I can't do this right now." He shoved the cart out of the elevator and strode down towards the cell.

"You started this..." Clary trailed off when Jace broke into a run towards the cells spotting two forms fighting.

He watched Alec snarl something towards Jonathan before charging at the other tackling him to the ground, they tussled before breaking apart briefly. Jonathan punching Alec in the face drawing blood before Alec grabbed the hand twisting hard causing Jonathan to roll with the pain.

Jace slammed into the glass. "Break it up!" He yelled at the two forms fighting. Alec's form froze, gaze swinging towards Jace. Jace's blood went cold. His eyes were demonic black again.

_I need to get in there._

"Give him the injection from yesterday!" hollered Jonathan, twisting free of Alec's grasp and elbowing him in the back hard. Alec snarled spinning on Jonathan punching him in the chest first, quickly followed by a hit to the face. Jace could see blood splatter across the floor.

He sprinted over to the double doors, hitting the buttons to unlock. Hit them again to close it behind him. Activated his strength and agility runes with a thought. Grabbed one of the needles Izzy had given him earlier and pushed it into his arm, drawing the blood out, before using his stele to unlock the doors separating him from the two fighting. He shoved the door opened and bolted inside.

Alec had Jonathan pinned to the ground now. One hand wrapped around his neck, the other digging into Jonathan's arm. Jace didn't pause, leaping onto Alec's back and slammed the needle into his neck, depressing the syringe. Alec roared releasing Jonathan and standing up, trying to grab Jace. His parabati rune screamed in pain as Alec threw Jace off him with a demonic strength. Jace twisted in the air to land with his feet and hands under him. Stayed kneeling when Alec ripped the needle out of his neck, crushing it in his grip, screaming.

Alec took a few steps away, grabbing his own hair and pulled at it, screaming again. Before his knees buckled to the floor and he slammed a fist into it. Jace could see the cracks form in the concrete.

_Alec, stop. Please._

After a few moments of no movement from the dark haired man, Jace slowly stood up, glancing at Jonathan who had crawled away from Alec and lay there panting. Not a threat. Alec remained where he knelt, gasping for breath, each breath sounded stuttering. Jace drew out a second syringe, this one prepared earlier, he had planned to use it in Alec's drink for breakfast.

_May as well give him another dose._

Especially after that violence. He would need to get Jonathan in a separate cell, Alec would have killed him had he not arrived until after breakfast. Jace circled closer to Alec, body tensing ready for any type of attack. He could feel the parabati rune doing its usual pulse and heat, it was strangely a comfort. It told him Alec was still in there somewhere. As he circled closer he realized the knelt form was crying.

_Shit. Alec._ _Pull it together._

In all the years Jace had known Alec he could not recall a single time he had seen him cry. Not when they were younger and Alec was taking care of Izzy, Max, and Jace. Not when they were teens, struggling through all the hormonal bullshit. Not even with Magnus. He was always the strong leader that everyone thought could not be touched, the one that never showed emotion.

Jace slowly knelt before Alec's bent form, reaching out slowly to touch his shoulder. A shudder, another gasped breath, Jace brought the needle up to Alec's neck letting his hand stroke slowly from the shoulder it had rested on to where the needle pointed.

"Do it. Please. I can't control it." Begged Alec, fists tightening on the floor.

Jace pressed the needle into Alec's neck and depressed the syringe, feeling the rune flare briefly before finally quieting. Alec breathed out a sigh, entire body relaxing as the blood entered his system.

_Angel blood works. It's helping him._

Jace pulled Alec into an embrace, turning Alec's body easily until the other lay half curled in his lap. He found himself running his hands through Alec's hair.

"Who is in control Alec?" Jonathan called from his side of the room.

Jace felt the tension form under his hands. "What did you do to him?" Jace demanded, watching Jonathan closely, hands now running down Alec's neck seeking to release the tension he felt there.

"He attacked me. Edom's magic is creating foundations to sink into the remnants of his soul. He's losing it." Jonathan actually sounded mildly regretful about that thought. "Good thing he has your angel infused blood, seems to be doing the trick. Might get a bit addicted."

"Jace, what is he talking about?" Clary. He had nearly forgotten her presence on the opposite side of the glass.

"We'll talk about it later. Send the food in via the ports."

He could see her struggle with needing to question him further but relented and sent the food in. Jonathan limped over and picked one up. The other he slid across the floor where it stopped a few feet away from where Jace sat with Alec in his lap.

"I'll need an Iratze this time. And your parabati is going to need a lot more of your blood injections. Carving the rune onto his arm stopped working sometime last night."

_You were helping him all this time._

Jace did not leave Alec's side until after he had eaten and Jace had drawn several more healing runes and injected him with another dose of blood. Most of that time he spent running a hand down Alec's back trying to comfort him, mind racing as he struggled to think up a way to give Alec back his soul. Angry at Magnus for not returning sooner with new knowledge from his research. Clary stayed outside the entire time shooting him strange glances and talking to Jonathan.

O – O – O – O – O – O

The black, red, silver, and blue, the kaleidoscope of colors currently arrayed around the room they had decided upon for Max's new runes ceremony had Jace's head hurting. It wasn't that he didn't want to be there. It was for Max after all. But after leaving Alec's side Jace's head had developed a deep throb. Tension, worry, and sleeping on a concrete floor catching up to him. He had positioned himself on the couch, laying down and twirling his stele while Izzy, Simon in his geeky shirt, and Clary sat in chairs to form a circle. On the bright side everyone he knew was present, excluding Alec.

_Don't go there right now._

He ordered himself. Instead he kept an eye on Magnus, waiting for an opening.

"This is so cool." Simon informed the group of Shadowhunters. "I always find new cultures celebrations so fascinating and this is just another layer. Max told me that he wants to get every single rune on his body. Is there even enough room for that? What about if you need to double up. I know Jace has two speed runes."

Jace stopped his stele, gaze zeroing in on where the dark haired vampire sat. "Been checking me out?" He drawled, smirking.

"Pfft. No. Clary told me. Also I think I've seen most of you without shirts on." Simon paused. "That did not come out right."

"No. No it did not." Laughed Izzy.

Clary cracked a smile but was otherwise quiet.

Max came bounding over, skittering to a stop in the middle of their circle, before thrusting his arms out and spinning around showing off 3 of the 5 new runes on his arms, the others probably hidden under his clothes. "Check them out! I have the shield of mind and elemental shield of fire on my side. So what did you get me?"

Izzy handed over her brightly wrapped gift, which Max tore into easily. A set of throwing knives.

Jace noted Magnus move away from Maryse.

"Here you go, Max. Make good use of it." Jace reached under the couch where he had hidden his present and handed it to Max. Not willing to share the reason he had selected that particular weapon, just that he felt calmer knowing Max had it.

Max tore into it again, shredding the plain paper, revealing the iron rod with a red jewel at the top. His face lit up. "A skeptron! Woah! How did you even get one? Does mom know you got this?"

"What is a skeptron? I mean obviously a weapon but why is it so special?" Clary asked from her spot, unfolding her legs from where she had been curled.

"It's the most badass weapon. Nephilim used them in Edom when they would be sent there to fight the asmodei." Max said excitedly before grumbling. "Man, Alec killed Lilith and Asmodeus and blew up that realm. There won't be any demons from that realm to kill anymore."

"Glad you like it." Jace patted him on the head before swinging his legs off the couch and moving towards Magnus. He heard Izzy mildly berating Max for wanting more demons and explaining just how many hellish realms existed as he moved towards the warlock.

Magnus had spotted Jace heading his way and changed direction. Jace switched his trajectory so that he cut Magnus off near the drinks table. Magnus summoned a dark amber drink with ice into his hand, taking a sip before looking directly at Jace.

"Something you want to say, Shadowhunter?" Magnus questioned, dark glittery gaze piercing Jace.

Jace crossed his arms, face hardening. "Yeah. Why haven't you begun to siphon the magic out of Alec yet?"

"The preparations to siphon two greater demons magic out of a body, let alone the remnants of a soul takes time. We have one chance to start this ritual correctly. If the first attempt does not succeed, there will be no second chance."

Magnus reached up and twisted the engagement ring on his hand, banishing the drink in the same moment. Jace felt something primal and territorial crawl through him.

"I need Alec back. He's losing it. He attacked Jonathan this morning." Jace informed him. His headache decided it wanted to kick it up a notch by alerting him to the pulse and burn of his parabati rune as well, adding nausea to the mix.

"You are not the only one who wants Alec back. The preparations to begin siphoning will be ready tomorrow morning." Magnus gaze traveled over Jace's before dropping to his side. "I can't rush this. Once I remove all of Edom's taint, only then will we know how Alec's mind was affected."

Jace dropped his crossed arms covering the parabati rune with one hand. A spike of cold anger, along with another emotion he didn't want to name, bolting through him. "Then why are you here?"

"Jace! We need you over here! And bring Magnus with you!" Yelled Simon from across the room, waving his arms to motion them to hurry up.

"I believe we are being summoned by the vampire." Magnus commented wryly, taking the exit presented him easily.

Jace shoved his new dislike of Magnus away. It was completely uncalled for. Magnus was engaged to Alec. The burning heat of a few fiery moments should not mean anything. He swiped a water bottle off the drink table and headed back over to the others. Felt a spike of irritation at seeing Magnus on the couch he had previously vacated, but quickly realized he would look awkward not sitting down near the warlock, since it was the only vacant spot. He sighed internally and threw himself as gracefully as possible onto the couch.

"Ok, we're here Simon. What's the catastrophe?" Jace questioned, intentionally kicking his feet up on the couch to hoard as much space as possible. Magnus gave him a rather amused yet irritated look.

"We are all going to play Loaded Questions." Simon chimed cheerfully, biggest smile on his face.

_Great. A mundane game._

"How does it work?" Izzy asked, flipping her black hair back.

"Ok, so each of us gets a card. No peeking. Under each card is a question. You have to read the question to yourself but you must answer it out loud. If you want to keep your question a secret, eat the jelly bean!" Simon's grin had far too much enthusiasm.

"You want us to eat sugar to keep a question secret?" Jace mocked, glancing at Simon, beginning to twirl his stele in his hands.

Simon just grinned at Jace like the ridicule was expected. "These just aren't any jelly beans, these are Harry Potter jelly beans!"

"Your point?" Jace asked, Izzy slapped his head lightly, causing a random spike of pain to join the headache before returning to its dull throbbing.

"Hey!" Jace attempted to dodge the hit but was hindered from his sprawled form on the couch.

"Each jelly bean may be a horrible flavor or a tasty one." Simon instructed as he started passing out cards and small shot glasses with one jelly bean in each, handing one to Jace first.

_This is going to be horrible._

Jace felt his stomach do another flip and his headache remained silently battering away at his skull. He took a drink of water as the other grabbed cards and glasses from Simon.

"Jace why don't you start. That way those who have played before go last." Clary suggested.

Jace leaned over and swiped his card, reading it over once, twice.

_You've got to be kidding me._

"The options for my jelly bean are buttered popcorn…" He began.

"That sounds not good." Simon stated.

"…or rotten egg." Jace finished.

"That sounds a little better." Simon was smirking at him now, leaning forward.

"So what is your answer?" Clary questioned eagerly.

"My answer is 14 hours." Jace smirked a little waiting, he wasn't disappointed. Magnus was smirking, Izzy had one eyebrow raised suggestively, Simon and Clary were both smiling and laughing at the sexual innuendo.

"Now you tell us the question or you eat the evil jelly bean." Simon informed him.

_Can't be so bad. _

Jace swiped the shot glass up and tossed it back. He barely got it on his tongue before his body registered poison and tried dry heaving. He jerked forward spitting it back into the glass cup.

The others burst into laughter at his discomfort.

"Did you even taste it?" questioned Simon, pointing and laughing.

Jace just hung his head over the side of the sofa willing his stomach to not empty itself on the floor, head pounding even more, nostrils burning from the damn candy.

"You can smell it!" Jace cried irritably at Simon.

"Really? Pass it down." Jace's upset dignity registered that the vampire, the one with the best nose in the room was pretending to not know what was in each of these stupid shot glasses.

Jace shot him a glare, which just caused Simon to laugh harder, but he handed the vile cup to Izzy who took a waft of it before wrinkling her nose and passing it on to Simon.

"Magnus you go next." Isabelle called waving her hand in a circle to motion the direction they would all be taking their turns.

Jace coughed trying to clear the awful taste of rotten egg from his mouth, taking another swig of water. His stomach still doing flips.

Izzy ended up spitting her jelly bean out, but was daring enough to try Clary's when she refused to eat it. Simon said his was a win-win since he was a vampire and his sense of taste had shifted quite a bit.

_Conniving bastard._

Magnus easily answered his question and told them what the card asked him as well. The answers were "in Alicante." And "Where is your ideal location to be proposed to?"

Jace tried not to think, the rune had been emitting a constant wave of heated pain now and he needed to punch something, that or follow through on the treacherous thoughts that had been plaguing him since bringing Alec home.

Jace closed his eyes briefly, willing the headache to leave him before deciding he should just go nap in his room.

"Iz. Come wake me when the Silent Brother gets here for Alec." Jace instructed as he rolled off the couch, almost needing to put a hand out to stop the swaying the room gave him at the sudden movement.

"Uh no. You aren't leaving to sulk about Alec. You are staying right here. Besides I need to update you on me and Simon." Izzy responds back, putting a lean leg out to stop him from walking past.

_Do I really need to hear this?_

"As you know Simon and I have begun dating." Izzy begins, flipping her black hair away from her face.

_Definitely, do not want to hear this._

"Well, I wanted to ask you. Are you alright with it?" Izzy asked, twisting her snake bracelet around on her arm where her whip was hidden.

That brought him up short. Any other guy Izzy dated, she had done just that, dated. She had never asked if either Alec or Jace were ok with any of the guys she chose.

Jace glanced around noting that they were alone and the others had moved away to towards the training rooms to watch Max show off the new runes.

_Did I fall asleep?_

"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine with it. He's good for you. Did I fall asleep?" Jace glanced around again before looking back at Izzy's face. She was watching him intently.

"Yeah, you passed out about halfway through the game. Simon was rather insulted. I figured everything with Alec the past few days finally caught up to you." Izzy quietly stated, before rubbing at the snake bracelet wrapped around her wrist. "You sure you are ok with Simon?"

"Yeah, more than fine. Come on lets go see the last of Max's performance before the Silent Brother arrives."

O – O – O – O – O - O

Red.

Blood red minuscule sparks danced in front of his eyes. Alec blinked up at the hand he had been holding over his eyes. Moved it slightly only for the red sparks to shift and follow.

_Odd._

He wanted another dose of whatever Jace had given him at breakfast. He could still remember the warmth that had spread through his system burning away the icy cold numbness he felt now. Instead the cold had returned with that numbness came the thoughts.

…_I was never good enough._

…_let a demon in._

…_I said go._

He clenched his eyes shut, pressing his hands into his eyes, feeling the cold clammy skin on his face. He needed Jace.

_Stop. Control it._

He turned over trying to get comfortable. They took Jonathan. His one solace. They took him. And Jace...Jace had become an enigma. An enigma he wanted and craved, made his rune burn hotly, and left his body on fire.

He sensed movement outside his cell. Ignored it.

_Unless it's another injection, I don't want it._

He growled at himself. Digging nails into his skin, reaching down and tearing at the parabati rune trying to remove it from his skin.

_Stop. Come back to me._

The whisper filtered through his confused mind. He glanced down at the black parabati rune. He had dug so hard the skin was bleeding, but the black was still there.

"Oh Alexander. You poor boy." Magnus's soft voice came from the other side of the glass wall.

_Power!_

The need to drain that warlock of Edom's magic consumed him, obliterating any other thoughts.

He launched himself at the warlock, bringing his hands up and throwing the red sparks at the glass. It spilled from him in a fury, slamming into the glass, only to be deflected by the wards effectively annihilating his attack.

He snarled and growled.

_Kill him._

Murder was easy. He knew how to kill. Had been training for it his entire life. If only he could get out of this cage. He threw another ball of red magic at the wall, smirking when he felt the wards weaken.

"I thought you said he was in stasis. This looks far worse than before." Maryse snapped. His mother, stood beside Magnus, her back ramrod straight, hands clasped behind her back.

"His cells showed he was." Izzy responded with less confidence, eyes wide with fear.

"It's the lack of most of his soul. It makes it easy for the magic to corrupt him. Now let me work." Magnus informed them calmly, blue magic spilling from his hands in an intricate electric pattern.

Blonde hair caught his eyes, he snapped his entire body to face it. Jace stood slightly behind Izzy and Maryse, when their gazes locked Alec could see him swallow, his eyes were wide.

"Come to play with me, parabati?" Alec snarled, pacing back and forth, he grinned ferally when he watched the color drain from Jace's face.

Only Jace does not back down, instead he walks around Magnus to stand directly in front of the glass, less than two feet from Alec.

Alec feels his face twist when the parabati rune start to heat with that uncomfortable fire that he knows will turn to pleasure and make him lose control. He slams his fists into the glass, screaming in rage, only to cut off abruptly. There is a symbol scrawled across the window.

_Trap._

He leapt, throwing his body backwards only to land in the middle of another giant trap. Magnus's blue magic flowing into the cell creating the required network for the spell.

"Jace! Release me!" Jace just crossed his arms across his chest, shaking his head. Alec felt his eyes bleed black. "Give. Me. Your power." Some distant part of him informed him that that was not his voice, but the clenched jaw from Jace was enough for Alec to latch onto it.

_A response._

"Keep him busy." Magnus calmly called, waving more and more blue magic through the air.

"Jonathan is with the Silent Brothers now." Jace told him flatly. "You will be healed, starting today."

That damn burning at his side would not stop. His mind was in turmoil. Jonathan was the one who knew. He understood. Jonathan was going to change and show him how to change…

He couldn't remember what he wanted to change, just that it needed to happen. Something was missing. Some intricate, vital part was missing.

_Why can't I remember?_

His eyes locked back on Jace again.

_Parabati._

Traveled the length of Jace's body, before landing on his side.

_Two souls._

The red magic spilling from his hands cut out sharply. Magnus's magic surged forward, latching into his body. He felt darkness consume him.

O – O – O – O – O – O

Rain pattered against the window. Jace could hear the wind lashing the building outside. Matching the turmoil he felt inside after completing the ritual for Alec.

"Explain to me exactly why my son was throwing around magic like some warlock." Maryse snapped from her large desk to those assembled before her.

They had returned to the Institute head office after the ritual was complete. Alec had passed out halfway through it. Every time he closed his eyes he saw the red magic wink out as Alec hit the ground. He felt something wet slide down his side only to disappear into his black pants.

"First off, your son's ritual was a success. Touch and go at the start but then he let me in. He does not understand how to harness what has been imbued in his veins. I do." Magnus spoke calmly and flatly from where he was seated in the room. Sweat had soaked through his expensive shiny shirt and his hair no longer held its usual spikes and lay flat with sweat.

_Drained of magic._

"And will you be able to perform this ritual tomorrow? The silent brothers agreed to take Jonathan off our hands but even they refuse to bring Alec to the Silent City for treatment until he is cleansed of Edom. We are lucky Brother Zachariah is willing to check him over after your ritual." There was a waver to her voice and she held her body stiffly before them.

"No. I will need a couple days to recover." Magnus stated regretfully, still reclining heavily in his chair.

Jace shifted uncomfortably where he was standing, the whole ritual had been bothering him. Alec had not looked away from him nearly the entire time.

"I think my blood can cure him while Magnus recovers." He blurted it out, before he could keep over thinking it.

Brother Zachariah pushed the door open entering, bright blue hair and dull grey robes followed by a head of red hair. Before shutting the door behind him, leaning against it. waiting patiently. Clary moved to stand beside Jace and Izzy.

"Izzy said it won't work, Jace." Maryse dismissed, motioning for the Silent Brother to approach.

"It did. It can." Jace demanded, taking a step towards her.

Maryse swung her eyes back from Magnus to look at Jace again. "And what makes you say that?" Jace snapped his arms back behind himself him, securing his body in parade rest.

_Crap. Not telling them about that._

"Uh, a feeling. It's my rune. Something keeps telling me to do that."

_Yeah, that was a much better choice to sound intelligent than injecting your parabati with your blood._

He felt Izzy shift beside him. Felt Magnus's golden cat eyes boring a hole into his head from behind him.

"I think Jace should inject Alec with his blood directly." Izzy spoke up, shooting Jace an odd glance.

"What?" The chorus of voices all veered towards Izzy. Jace's included, because he could not have heard her correctly.

"He has potent angel blood. I've been trying to create an antidote from it, but what if Jace injects Alec with his blood on the days Magnus needs to recover. If the strain becomes too much on Jace's body I'll tell him to rest until his body can recover to continue. The serum I am working on should be ready by then."

Jace could kiss her in that moment. She had just given him a free pass to continue his own agenda, one he had witnessed Alec respond positively from.

"You can donate one pint. After that you need to wait about 6 weeks before I can let you donate again. We will see how long Alec can go between injections." She smooths her dress down as she stands, obviously ready to leave and continue her work.

"_Alexander Lightwood's body will heal by siphoning out the magic infused within." _The baritone of the Silent Brother's voice reverberated in all of their heads.

The Silent Brother turned towards Jace, inclining his bright blue head. _"Tell me Jace Herondale. Your parabati bond, it survived your death? It survived heavenly fire from the soul sword?" _

Jace glanced at the others in the room, unsure if the Silent Brother was speaking to them all or just him. "Yes, that's true." He responded carefully, watching the others become mildly confused and regard him oddly.

_He's speaking just to me again._

"_Both of these events should have annihilated your bond. It did not. I believe there is no death until you part for the two of you. Your unique angel blood may be the cause. Alexander's Edom infusion has exacerbated the issue."_

"What do you mean?" Jace managed to keep his voice even but it came out a whisper.

"_Most of his soul rests inside your parabati rune."_

Shock hit him hard. He stumbled back, knees almost buckling, yanking his shirt up to check the parabati rune. He brought his hand up wiping away the thin layer of blood that had formed during the ritual, traced it, trying to find Alec inside.

_Alec can you feel me? Are you in there?_

The begged question brought nothing but the slow pulse and burn he had grown used to, a flicker of something else stirring.

"Jace? Are you alright?" It was Clary, she had moved beside him. "You're bleeding." Her gaze swung up angrily towards the Silent Brother. "What did you do to him?"

He yanked his shirt back down, standing up straight. "I'm fine. He did nothing."

Clary shot him a look of disbelief, before hardening again. She turned to the Silent Brother, whom had raised one hand up dangerously. "You are taking Jonathan from this Institute. Why?"

The upraised hand remained a silent threat. Jace could feel the hum of magic in the air. Silent Brothers were said to break minds with a thought. _"Jonathan Morgenstern will be treated in the City of Bones. His psychological wounds require more assistance than one Silent Brother."_

The anger faded from Clary's green eyes, followed by a small hope. "Can I see him often?"

"_I will call you when Jonathan is ready."_ Came the echoing voice in their heads again.

O – O - O – O – O – O

Magnus considered himself powerful. He created Portals for the shadowhunters to use safely before he turned 100. Plus he wasn't the High Warlock of Brooklyn for nothing. But looking at Alexander inside the cell for the past two weeks, siphoning Edom's magic into the orb the Spiral Labyrinth had provided upon his request and a few favors, he felt weak.

Magnus thought it would take a week at most to siphon off the magic into the orb without killing Alec. Instead the fight had drawn out for two weeks with no end in sight. Two weeks that Alec had proven he did not want to let go of the power, fighting and pulling at Magnus's own magical core each time he performed the ritual. It was exhausting.

_But I'm anything if not stubborn._

Magnus completed pouring the black powder along the floor finishing the required symbol for the siphon. It looked similar to the demonic summoning ritual but had swirls and hints of angelic writing within, it would match the one his power was going to remake in Alec's cell in a moment. He placed the vial back in his black blazer, rolled his sleeves up, before snapping his fingers and snapping his arms up summoning forth his power in a blue burst of electricity. Only then did he look at Alec.

Alec crouched in his cell, prison really, watching with a predatory gaze and expression Magnus had come to expect each time he did this. Magnus's blue magic already forming the symbol along the floor, as it completed he could see the snarl forming, feel the tension in his own magic as it collided with Alec's. He took a breath and began the silent tug of war directing what he gained into the orb in front of him that sat in the black symbol on the floor.

_It starts out white._

The other warlocks had informed him that the orb could hold two greater demons magic with ease and should only shift to a grey color, if it turned red…

_Bring it back._

Magnus stomped a foot down in front of him, reaching down with his arms, before pulling his body upright, gritting his teeth, yanking as much of Alec's power with him. Alec bared his teeth bracing his hands against the ground.

Magnus dropped his glamour, yellow glittery cat eyes shining bright.

_Can't waste the effort._

"This would be easier Alexander if you would let the magic go." Magnus grit out.

"Not happening." He bit back.

_Same conversation as last time then._

Magnus searched Alexander's right arm, the blackness from Edom covered it. His eyes pinpointed the angelic runes both Jonathan and Jace had placed on the arm when Alec had first been brought in. The removal of Jonathan from the cell after the brutal fight had an unexpected backlash none of them could have foreseen. The boy had been right. Even with a broken jaw he demanded to be placed back in the horrible cell with Alec, begged Clary and Jace to draw the angelic runes over Alec's veins each hour. No one had truly listened. Instead they had sent Jonathan to the Silent Brother who had informed them Jonathan had no demonic taint and he could face the Soul Sword to begin his rehabilitation.

Magnus kept his eyes locked on Alec not giving away the position of Izzy and Clary. He had overruled Jace's demand to far in advance with a deliberate attack on the blonde's ego and informing him Alec would still sense him a mile away.

Alec lashed out at Magnus harshly, even with the cell wards and the spell Magnus could feel the deadliness in the attack. The desire to kill.

_I'm losing you._

"You are becoming an evil maniacal piece of shit Alexander. Keep this up and Edom's magic will corrupt what is left of your soul." Magnus's barb clearly did not dig deep when Alec just smiled, red magic sparking from his hands.

"Counting on it." He said belligerently.

Izzy gave the signal to Clary and both moved. Izzy lashed her whip out to wrap around Alec's arm and torso, while Clary fired off the equivalent of a stun gun into Alec through the food port.

Magnus felt more than saw Alec's shock, took full advantage of it and weaved a spell forcing him to sleep. He didn't drop the constant tug of war on Alec's magic and as soon as Alec was asleep it eased up.

"Isabelle! Inject him now! That spell won't keep him asleep long." Magnus commanded, arms still out stretched pulling the dark red magic from Alec.

Isabelle was already in motion even as he spoke, dropping to a knee beside her brother and slamming the serum she had made from Jace's blood into her brother.

Magnus felt the change in the silent battle instantly. It felt like a battering ram had just hit Alec's magic, smashing it to bits, letting Magnus catch a tighter hold on what he wanted to remove. A second later he realized everything was about to spiral out of control.

_That's more magic than just two greater demons._

With a quick spiral of his hands Magnus starting pouring as much of the magic as he could into that orb watching as it started to pulse red.

_Not good._

He flung one hand out to the side splitting the power pouring from the unconscious form, holding onto the part he recognized as Asmodeus, directing the rest into the orb.

Izzy had managed to get out of the room quickly enough, Clary yelling to Magnus that they were clear.

Magnus kept the spell active, watching as the orb turned a brighter and brighter red. Alec's body arched and seized but remained unconscious.

At first Magnus did not notice it, his entire focus still on the glowing red orb attempting to gauge when to cut the spell short, but he did catch it. He felt a weak pull in the magic from Alec. Not to tear the magic away, but to push it towards him. Then it switched like a tide, hauling on Magnus's own essence viciously. He felt the sweat slide down his face as he attempted to maintain control of the spell. Took a breath and cut it short.

The bright blaze of blue magic and the inferno of red inside the cell dying out. Leaving sparks of white across his eyes.

"What happened? Did it work?" Clary's unsure voice filtered in from the side where she and Isabelle still stood.

Magnus's yellow cat eyes flickered to the side searching out the red head and the dark haired girls, assessing that neither were hurt.

"Oh it worked. Spectacularly. Alec just has more than two greater demon blasts stuck in his body and whatever it is does not want to leave easily. But the serum helped immensely, I felt Alexander for just a moment."

Magnus eyed the glowing red orb. It had melted the floor around it, pulsing with the infernal light within.

_The Spiral Labyrinth has warlocks that can shift the dark magic into something natural._

With a wave of blue magic he scooped it up, hovering it in the air before him. "I will be taking this. Maybe deliver it to one of Neptune's moons perhaps. Unless Jace wants to be a guinea pig and I can neutralize this with him."

"I think Jace has done enough donating of blood lately. I caught him sneaking some of it into Alec's drinks when he informed me it was too dangerous to go in there." Izzy waved her hand helplessly at her brother, silver snake bracelet glinting.

_Pity. Would have been easier controlling the orb myself._

Magnus banished the glowing orb to a secure location until he could deliver it to those he trusted in the Spiral Labyrinth.

"Well, he'll need a few more of those remarkable orbs. But we are on the right track. Bring Jace down here to see him." Magnus brought his glamour back up over his eyes, sighed and turned to fully face Isabelle. "Just don't let them touch."

At the strange command Isabelle gave him a confused and stunned look before something dawned across her face. "Okay."

"I'll go get him." Clary happily obliged moving off to the elevator and heading up.

Magnus glanced back at the unconscious form in the cell. Twisting the engagement ring on his finger silently.

"Magnus?" Izzy put an arm around him in a half hug. "We'll get him back."

_I already lost him._

Magnus pulled the engagement ring off his finger, turning so that Izzy's arm fell from his shoulder. "I need you to return this to Maryse." He pressed the ring into her hand, closing it for her.

Izzy face went slack in confused shock. "What? Magnus, Alec loves you. He asked you to marry him. He went to Edom for you and broke you out. Alone." She handed the ring back.

Magnus did not move to take it, turning his head watching the unconscious form of Alexander.

"The Alexander I loved. His soul is not fully there. I fell in love with him, his whole soul, yet what is left does not recognize me." He whispered.

"So you are just going to leave?" Izzy's confused anger was starting to rise in her eyes, she kept her hand out.

"Make no mistake Isabelle. I still love him. I will be here until this ritual in complete. But his soul, it's broken. He's surviving because of Jace. When he does awake he will be sent to the Silent Brothers to become one of them."

"You don't know that for certain." Izzy whispered back.

"I do. Alec should have died. He's alive because of the parabati bond. And I will not hold Alexander to a promise he may not be able to keep." Magnus calmly explained.

"Let Alec decide that when he is fully healed." Izzy insisted still holding the engagement ring out awkwardly, arm wavering unsure.

Magnus irritably waved his hand at the mess on the floor repairing it in a blue flash before turning on his heels and marching out. The elevator doors pinged open to reveal red and blonde hair. Clary and Jace scurried past in some argument regarding sending letters to Jonathan. Magnus could not bring himself to care, just stepped inside the elevator, determined to get through this day and go home.

O – O – O – O – O – O

Clack. Clack. Clack.

The sounds of the training staffs reverberated through the training room. It was partially darkened to help replicate the nighttime fighting conditions, large runes tiled into the floors and along the walls serving as reminders of various abilities. On one side stood an array of practice weapons and training dummies. Jace was currently instructing Clary and Simon. Simon as part of Alec's downworlder program that Lydia had upheld since taking over four weeks ago. Clary because he still could not find it in himself to train with her alone again.

_Four weeks and still can't remove that kiss from my head._

It took four weeks of Izzy turning his blood into serums and Magnus's ritual before Edom's essence was driven from Alec. Jace was left uncertain about the warlock, whom Izzy had informed him had returned the engagement ring at some point. The only thing that was certain was training and missions. Jace had thrown himself into every demon hunting mission he was allowed. Buried himself in training himself and others when he was not because the moment he slowed down his rune would pulse and that memory came back again and again. Missions he could not perform every hour of the waking day, training however he could. It let his mind blank long enough to not feel the need to curl up outside Alec's cell, reducing the irritable desire.

"Would you stop hitting me so hard?" Simon gasped, attempting and failing to avoid another strike that smacked into his shoulder from Jace's staff.

"Move faster then." Jace coached him with another jab towards Simon's legs, before swiftly spinning and deflecting the attack coming from Clary, easily rolling her staff to the side making the attack to his back harmless.

"You told me _not _to use vamp speed." The dark haired boy complained, rubbing at his shoulder.

"Jace! You need to give us a chance." Clary appeared less annoyed at getting hit with a stick than Simon.

Jace threw the staff across one shoulder directing its point easily. "Two against one. This should be easy guys. Vampire." Pointed the staff at Simon. "You being you." He shifted the staff to point at Clary.

"Do all shadowhunters beat each other with sticks or are you just trying to stake me?" Inquired Simon before he rushed to try another attack at Jace.

"Just trying to keep your pretty face from bruising." Jace grinned back, deflecting the blow.

"Aww. You still think I'm pretty."

Jace's smile dropped from his face.

_I'm not going to answer that._

Clary chose that moment to try a new attack having circled around Jace. Jace rolled the staff along his shoulders, twisting slightly, and was satisfied with the loud crack as the two staffs met. Clary smirked up at him before launching into a whirling attack that forced Jace back.

"Almost had you." The red head smirked, green eyes dancing.

Izzy's dark head poked through the entrance to the training room. "Guys, Brother Zachariah is here to see if Alec can be released into the Institute." Izzy called.

Clary's staff struck Jace across the face – hard. He spun with the blow stunned more from Izzy than the actual hit before quickly regaining his feet.

_Alec._

There went all his carefully crafted walls to obliterate the fights and heat that had formed since the disaster. Because that is what he had named it in his head, The Disaster. It had upended everything he had with Clary.

"Haha! One of us got you!" Simon exclaimed excitedly, high fiving Clary.

"Max you still have to remain up here." Izzy informed her youngest brother who had clearly been walking with her, patting him on the top of his brown head which he batted away in annoyance.

"I'm old enough. I found him! Why can't I see him? It's been weeks." He tried to sound calm but a slight whine was still detectable.

"Hey Max. I wasn't even allowed near him at times when Magnus was working on him." Jace told him. He hated those days with a vengeance, but it did the trick on Max. He relented and headed off to his assigned duty for the day.

O – O – O – O – O

The next few minutes felt like a blur and an eternity to Jace. The sitting around waiting for Brother Zachariah to finish talking to Maryse and Magnus in the Head of the Institutes office. Jace paced, he twirled his stele, he rubbed at the rune, and all his mind could bring forth was what it felt like the last few times he had touched Alec and the demonic black eyes staring at him. He had not seen Alec in two weeks.

Jace slammed a fist into the wall he was pacing besides causing everyone in the hallway to jump. Breathing blowing out hard, he tried shaking his head to clear it. Simon and Izzy looked at him with concern. Clary just rolled her eyes, their arguments had only been increasing the past month centered on Jace's refusal to touch or even hug her. He knew he needed to fix whatever was wrong with his head and talk to her, but could not seem to focus enough.

"Jace, he will get released. Magnus would not suggest bringing a Silent Brother here to analyze Alec if he was not certain he would be." Izzy tried to comfort him. He tried for a wane smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Maryse arrived with the Silent Brother a few minutes later. Bright blue spiked hair and bland grey robes, Brother Zachariah still did not look like your typical Silent Brother. Magnus was conspicuously absent.

"Only Isabelle, myself, and Jace will be allowed on the cell block while Brother Zachariah does his test." Maryse announced, back straighter than normal if that was possible.

Once crammed into the elevator she kept trying to move an invisible piece of hair from her face on the way down to the cell. Jace kept his arms crossed and refused to fidget.

Finally. Finally they were before Alec's cell. Jace knew what to expect visually. The demonic black eyes no longer shown, the Edom runes on his back had faded to nothing but scars, the right arm healed but for faint traces of black along Alec's veins that Magnus had informed them would probably remain the rest of his life. A scar to show how close he had come to being consumed by Edom's magic. But his nerves still felt frayed. Magnus had stopped allowing Jace to be present during the rituals and would only allow Jace to see his parabati after each ritual was complete. The violence and passion Alec had displayed early on had become a strange predatory dance every time Jace was in the room to deliver an injection or food. Jace made certain that they never touched when others were around. Which was not hard, all he had to do was not go in the cell. Yet Alec was supposed to be better now, his rune still pulsed and burned lowly making him question that.

_His soul rests inside your parabati rune._

Jace watched Alec stand warily from the floor where he had been doing pushups as the group approached. Alec shifted his stance into parade rest, brown eyes straight forward.

Jace applied his stele to the door to allow Brother Zachariah through the first set of doors. Then again on the second set.

"_Jace Herondale, remain here."_ Brother Zachariah ordered him before entering into the cell. Leaving Jace to stand in the empty chamber in a mix of relief and anxiety.

He could hear the whispered responses from Alec regarding whatever the Silent Brother asked him but could not make them out. Could briefly make out a comment from Maryse saying "that is the truth." Another from Izzy yelling "You can't do that! He did his best!"

The door swung open and he was there. Dark, messy hair, skin pale, and his eyes were brown.

Jace bolted from his spot towards Alec engulfing him in a tight hug. Alec's body tensed before he returned the hug, wrapping his arms around Jace. Relief, Alec was alright. He had beaten becoming Endarkened or whatever it was Edom's magic was attempting to do.

"You're back." He choked out, even as his parabati rune flared to life, the moment it did Alec pushed him away.

"_Decide between the two Alexander Gideon Lightwood. I will be awaiting your decision." _The Silent Brother stated through their heads for all to hear.

Alec exited stiffly out to Maryse and Izzy where Izzy hugged his rigid body. Maryse wrapped an arm around her children whispering happily, "Alec you beat this. You made me so proud. No one else has accomplished what you have done."

"_Alexander Lightwood shall continue to heal physically within the walls of the New York Institute. The hellish magic of Edom has been expelled from his body."_ The blue haired Silent Brother commanded them, standing oddly still in his grey robes. _"Ensure he does not relapse."_ With that the Silent Brother left them.

Jace felt stunned. Alec barely acknowledged him. They were parabati.

_What did I miss?_

"Bet you want a normal shower and an actual bed." Izzy smiled up at her brother, her arm latched around his waist. He did not push her off, like he had done Jace.

_I thought I had you back._

It was never like this. It had always been Alec following Jace. He was Jace's backup. Alec was always there to ensure Jace did not get himself killed on a mission. Alec was always there to pick up the broken pieces of Jace for him when shit hit the fan.

Jace stared at Alec's back as the two siblings walked away. Alec turned his head and looked back at Jace. Brown eyes locked with heterochromia and Jace felt that familiar heat pool inside him.

O – O – O – O – O – O

The warm shower water felt glorious. One full month of nothing but cold sponge baths and a concrete floor had left his body an aching mess. Alec bowed his head further under the spray, letting it stream down his body just to enjoy the warmth.

_I'm never leaving here._

That thought unfortunately brought back one of two choices the Silent Brother had given him.

"_Remain within the confines of the Institute, for life."_

His fish clenched on the shower handle in front of him. He had thought he was finally escaping the torturous grasp of being firstborn. The pressure to uphold all the values his parents had demanded of him. The pressures of being the Head of the Institute and all those lives under his command. The pressure of always making the hard decisions for those around him. Although he was no longer certain where he belonged in the Institute anymore.

That pressure that had enveloped his body and mind for a month. He ran a hand across his face, closing his eyes, a spark of red crossed his minds eye. Remembered power.

_Cut the thought._

Alec took a breath, turning the water hotter until it was nearly unbearable, letting the heat push the memory of the raging magic out of his mind. The insanity of the need to be near Jace however intensified.

He grimaced to himself, Jace and that body. That need had not stopped with the removal of Edom's magic. If he closed his eyes he could feel it, he could picture what it was like to have that body pressed to him. He dropped a hand lower, drawing it down his stomach. One month of this need with no release.

_Fuck. Yes._

A pounding on the door broke him out of his trance slightly. "Big Brother! We know it's been awhile but are you even alive? It's been like two hours." Izzy's voice pierced through the haze he had been drawing himself into.

_Go away._

Jace and Izzy were directly on the other side of the door. He had already stood under the shower long enough to prune, but he did not care. He slid his hand across himself, groaning softly. Tilting his head back. Letting a forbidden memory surface.

_SLAM!_

Alec's eyes flew open.

The door the bathroom flew open violently, followed by a blonde who looked like he had just kicked the door in.

"What the fuck! Get out!" Alec yelled at them.

Jace did not move immediately. He stood frozen to the spot. Alec glared daggers through the curtain at where he knew Jace stood.

"Well, he's alive." Came Izzy's voice still outside the bathroom. "If you had answered, Jace would not have gone into an apocalyptic fit."

Alec yanked the dial to ice cold, willing his body to calm down. His heartbeat continuing galloping away and he put his hands on the wall trying to shove the desire down.

"Just give me 5 minutes. I'll be out in a second." Alec growled hoarsely at them.

_I just wanted peace. Five minutes of peace._

He gave himself a few more seconds to continue calming his body down before reaching out and shutting the water off. Stared at his hand a moment noting the black veins traveling up it faintly. A towel smacked into his head and shoulder.

"Figured you wouldn't want to flash us." Jace commented from the other side of the shower curtain.

"What are you still doing in here?" Alec growled back.

"Making sure you didn't drown."

Alec wrapped the towel around himself and shoved the curtain aside. "I didn't."

"Could have fooled us. It's been two hours." There was real concern in Jace's voice.

Alec brought his eyes up to Jace and felt his breath catch. Jace was leaning casually against the vanity with a sweatshirt half zipped up and no shirt. When his eyes found Jace's he felt a blast of desire punch through his body.

_Jace…_

His brain did not seem to want to work. He just stared at Jace, ignoring the rivulets of water running off his body or the towel that had loosened in his grip but did not fall.

"Can I see them?" Jace asked.

_What?_

Alec remained locked in place. The direction his brain had headed at the simple request had dive bombed into a heady hot blaze. Brain still unable to process what Jace was asking him Alec prowled towards Jace. He watched as Jace's eyes widened with some unknown emotion.

"Alec?"

Alec swallowed, stopping less than a foot from Jace. Breathe coming too harshly.

Every time Jace came close – what he did to him.

Alec yanked his gaze away from Jace, stepping away trying to put distance between them. Grabbing another towel to dry before heading into his room to get dressed.

"Izzy, get out. I want to get dressed without you two all over me." He growled yanking his clothes out of the drawer with more force than necessary.

Izzy shot Jace an indecipherable look before she headed out the door, "We'll catch up tomorrow Alec. You catch up with Jace tonight."

The door closed and with it his sanity.

_Control it._

Alec closed his eyes, yanking a shirt over his head. Jace was leaning against the doorjamb to the bathroom but Alec could swear he could feel the body heat from where he stood halfway across the room. Alec reached up with one hand, tugging at his damp black hair trying to ground himself in the slight pain.

A hand touched his shoulder and Alec acted out of reflex, slamming his elbow back where it connected with a warm, solid body before twisting reaching out only to freeze halfway through the maneuver.

"Jace?"

"Still here." Jace rubbed absently at his solar plexus, blue and brown searching Alec for something.

Alec's brow furrowed in mild confusion "What did you ask before?"

"The demon marks. I want to see them." Jace requested softly, something in that voice Alec had never heard from Jace before and he found himself nodding.

Jace pointed at the bed indicating for Alec to lay down. Heat sparked through him, the embers from earlier begging to restart in a blaze.

Alec slowly lay down on his stomach exposing his back for Jace to examine. He pillowed his arms and buried his face there intent on controlling the burning need.

Jace's fingers skimmed across his back slowly, like he was committing something to memory.

"What did they do?" Jace whispered from above him.

"Pure air, Blood Replenishment, and Stamina." Alec felt Jace's hands fan out to rub across his shoulders slowly. "The pure air I had to sacrifice my voice for a little bit. Stamina was affected after Edom's souls were released. I could not move for a couple days."

_Not until Jonathan brought me blood._

"And blood replenishment?" Jace continued to run his hands across Alec's back, sweeping down to his sides occasionally. It was causing the need to get worse but he did not want it to stop.

"Blood. I needed blood." The hands stilled on his back for a moment before sliding down his sides again. He bit back a moan, twisting his head to bury it in the pillow.

"I needed you to back. Why didn't you just call?" his softly spoken question made Alec's gut clench with emotion.

_You called. I felt it with every fiber of my being._

The thought had Alec's breath catching hard. Entire body shaking with need.

_Control it._

"I need you to leave." Alec managed to choke out, before biting back a groan when Jace straddled his lower back with his knees continuing to trace patterns on his back.

The observation that Jace normally was not this physical with him unless fighting swirled away under his hands. He tried shifting subtly just to ease some of the growing pressure off, controlled his breathing to take one breath in slowly. Mind sinking into remembered kisses rather than the conversation.

"Nope. You're shaking. And I'm not leaving. I told you this. Where you go, I go." Jace's head dropped onto his back, breathe softly ghosting across, before Jace's hand slid up to one shoulder slowly before stopping just resting there.

Alec dropped his eyes half closed turning his head to peer back at Jace, struggling not to react.

"I'm here now. Aren't I?" Alec said, reaching for his blank mask he usually kept in place around Jace. Floundered when he could not find it. Feeling Jace's hands dig into his neck instead before sliding down his arms.

"When you were in that cell, you weren't. You were unhinged, you were like some desperate howling demon, and I couldn't reach you." Breath ghosted across Alec's back as he spoke.

_You reached me._

"I still can't feel you."

Alec twisted enough so he was half on his side, towel still in place. "You see this?" He took Jace's hand and ran it across the parabati rune on his own side. Heat blasted through the ice that Alec normally felt in their shared rune most days.

_Fuck…_

If only Jace understood just how much he felt him, how much the need drove him insane in that cell, how it still pulsed through him with an aching demand.

He felt Jace shift off his back to lay beside him in the bed, heating radiating from him in waves. He felt the pillow get pulled out from under his arms where he had buried half his face.

"I see you. I can't feel you." Something in the way Jace said those words had Alec searching the blue and brown eyes, finding something shifting in them that he knew must be part of a dream.

O – O – O – O – O – O

The vampire lair stank of death and rot.

Blood streaked the black floors and the once blue walls now were splattered in grey dust and gore. Several piles of dust scattered throughout the room in vague human outlines served as the reminders of what took place prior.

Jace, Izzy, Simon, and Clary were only in the first room of the lair. They had yet to venture deeper.

"I think I might puke." Clary whispered.

"What happened here?" Simon's vampire nose wrinkled up in distaste at the carnage around him. Apparently, requiring blood for a living still did not change his squeamishness about gore.

_This mission is going to be a mess._

Jace's eyes went from vampire corpse to vampire corpse. Each one appeared to be drained of blood, leaving behind the dusty husk that was slowly collapsing in on itself. He inched forward, keeping low to the ground, seraph blade in his hand but deactivated.

"Izzy can you tell how long these have been dead. Er, more dead." Jace whispered, eyes scanning the room trying to probe past the darkness.

"It's hard to tell with all the blood missing, but based on the severity of vampire decay. I'd guess about a month." Izzy crept over to one of the vampire corpses closer to her. Waving her stele across her arm to etch a "breathing under duress" rune before touching it. It fell apart in a puff.

_Shit._

Whatever had destroyed these vampires had ample time to set up traps or worse laid demon eggs.

Something further in the building made a slow grinding sound, before silence fell once more. Broken only by the random flickers of Clary's seraph blade as she moved forward to stand near Jace.

"Izzy, Simon take the door on the left. Circle around the building see what you find. Clary with me." Jace spoke it quietly, just barely loud enough for Clary to hear, relying on Simon's vampire hearing to pass the order to Izzy. He did with a touch and a whisper before the two slowly moved towards the other door.

Jace motioned to Clary to stay behind him as they started to scope out their side of the building. Moving to the next room carefully, blade up but deactivated. The last thing he needed was to alert any enemies to his presence if he could avoid it.

"Think whatever killed the Coven is still here after a month?", questioned Clary. She kept her seraph blade lit, light still bouncing erratically around the room as she moved and trembled.

"If it's a demon, definitely. Once they find a lair they tend to stay there. I just don't know of any demon that hunts vampires for blood. It's usually mundanes or Nephilim." Jace eyed a chunk of flesh that hung from what looked like cages. The stench of rot was intensifying the closer he moved to the cages.

"Oh my god." Clary whispered, hand coming up to cover her mouth.

There appeared to be ten humanoid corpses in the cells, all decomposing, bloated and filled with flies. The only thing Jace could tell that was odd about each corpse was that the chest cavity appeared to have been punched straight through.

Jace moved to the next door. Reaching out a hand to swing it open when the door blasted itself off its hinges instead, slamming into him and throwing him and the door to the floor. Whatever had blasted the door open landed on top of the door and Jace squeezing the remaining air from his lungs in a whoosh.

Jace scrambled to gain purchase on the door to lever the weight off his chest. Thanking the angel he did not require a stele to activate runes like any other Shadowhunter, activating his strength rune with a thought. Only to discover he could not lift it.

_Damn it._

He pointed his seraph blade at the door, activating it and slammed it upward through the door. Whatever was on the other side let out a shriek and the crushing weight left his chest. Jace heaved the door off his body, coughing. Rolling to a stand just as Clary slashed her blade across the monster's dark eyes. It shrieked again and thrashed. It was massive. Its reptilian body had actually gotten stuck in the doorway Jace had been about to open, the part that had been crushing him now thrashed and clawed at them with long arms filled with sharp nails. Goo was forming under its body, goop that was starting to melt the floor.

Jace lashed out quickly, lunging past Clary to chop part of one arm off followed by a swift stab to the things neck. Wrapping both hands in a better grip on his seraph blade he dragged it down through its neck and into the monsters gut. It stopped thrashing and lay still.

The floor gave way taking the monster with it forcing both Jace and Clary to jump and roll out of the way.

"_Jace, Clary. You copy? Simon and I found something in the lower level." _ Izzy's voice crackled across the short range comm.

"Yeah. You run into anything alive?" Because Jace had no idea what to classify the beast in front of him as. Especially, since it did not vaporize as most demons would.

"No. We found a ritual room. We think it's a rogue warlock perhaps."

_Would explain the mean beastie._

"Alright we are on our way. Our path is blocked anyway, so we'll loop back around and take the one you took."

"Affirmative."

Upon reaching Izzy and Simon, Jace could see why they figured it was a warlock. Giant summoning circles were all over the place. The room was covered in blood. In fact he could not see anything but red blood and black ichor across the floor and walls, all flowing towards one location in the center of the room where what looked like a chrysalis stood shimmering darkly in red.

_Shit._

Jace felt the instinctual dread forming in his body, but training kicked in easily letting his rational brain override instinct. He circled around the chrysalis preparing to drive the seraph blade through it when he paused. It was open. Nothing was inside, but for some red goop.

_Fucking hell._

"Get down!" He ordered the others just as one side of the room exploded inwards. He was forced back away from the others as the wave of snarling demons swept through the room. He could see Izzy and Clary fighting with their whips and blades, couldn't find Simon, but was forced to look away to skewer two demons that had tried flanking him.

He spun his blade into a reverse to stab another, spinning and slashing his way through the wave. Strength blossomed through his body when he activated more of his runes with another thought. He almost grinned when his next attack sliced through three demons instead of just one.

_One to the left. Four to the right._

Jace found himself moving to dispatch each one.

_Two above you._

Jace rolled out of the way as one dropped where he had been standing, spinning his blade erect as the other demon dropped directly onto the blade in a screech.

_MOVE!_

Jace kicked off the current demon-beast, deactivating his seraph blade to remove it from the body, reactivating it as he came down in a crouch a few feet away slicing through another limb. Hacking its head half off.

Silence. Except his own panting breathe. His eyes snapped towards where he had last seen the others. The three were facing off with one more demon, backs to each other. Several more demon-beasts lay scattered near them, hindering their movements, with their dead bulk.

Izzy's whip lashed around the demon-beasts neck pulling taut. Clary drew her sunlight rune and blasted it to bits. It was all over in moments.

"You guys alright?" Jace asked vaulting over one of the ginormous demon-beasts bodys.

"Yeah still in one piece." Izzy said, moving her sweat dampened hair out of her face.

"Face isn't bruised yet." Chimed Simon, he looked like might have a bruise on his jaw.

"What the hell kind of warlock does this? Magnus needs to be told." Clary sounded vaguely fearful. For all that she had been through her heart seemed incapable of realizing just how nasty the Shadowworld could get.

"First, let's return to the Institute. I want us all to get checked out by the medics for infection. Far too much ichor and blood in here and I know all of us have scrapes." Jace pointed at the chrysalis. "Then we tell Magnus about that."

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The medic set all their blood samples on her desk. Turning back to the four sitting on their assigned beds with a stern look all medics seem to carry. The smell of antiseptic permeated the air. White crisp sheets on the four beds each of them had been assigned too.

"Well, I will run the blood samples. But based on preliminary findings you all have nothing to worry about. Simon will need to get some blood in him that we cannot provide here. You are all free to go, you notice any infections beginning return to the infirmary." With that the medic swept up the samples and left to head to the lab or her next patient.

"I don't really feel like eating after seeing that much blood." Simon claimed, rubbing his arms in a shudder.

Jace quirked an eyebrow. "The vampire that survives off blood, doesn't want to be around blood?"

"It's not that. It just smelled so wrong. Cold. Burning. Like something got zapped but was frozen first." At everyone's blank, confused expressions Simon sighed. "It's really hard to describe. It would probably be like you explaining how burning yourselves with runes feels good rather than morbid."

"That's because it does feel good. You gain power from that rune, you get used to the pain." Jace informed him.

"I gain power from blood. Doesn't mean I enjoy the source of it." Simon shot back, before his face twisted into some inner realization. "Oh. Nevermind. I think I get it now."

"Medic says your mission went sideways, slightly. What happened?" Alec's deep voice sounded from the door as he strode in, coming to a stop before Jace. Jace swallowed hard, hands gripping the white sheets.

Waking up beside Alec that morning, he had felt better than he had in months. The fact Alec had not kicked him out but allowed him to stay spoke volumes about how he must be feeling after the cure to Edom.

Alec's dark brown eyes continued to stare down at Jace in silent demand waiting for an explanation.

"Rogue warlock, we think. Lair was pretty ugly." Jace wrapped it up simply.

Alec's gaze flickered up towards the ceiling briefly. "Where was this lair located?"

Jace told him, watched as Alec's body froze for a moment, too short for anyone to notice.

"Brother Zachariah and Magnus will be providing me a charm so I can continue going on missions soon. You don't go back to that lair until then." Alec ordered, hand moving to point at all of them. "Jace, Izzy, I want you both down in the training hall after your write your reports. I need to see where I am at after a month off." He marched off without another glance.

"Uh…" Simon started, rubbing at his nose, probably burning from the warlock's lair and the antiseptic in the infirmary.

"Come on Simon let's go get you some food at the Hunter's Moon." Clary said, hopping off her bed and grabbing his hand. She shot Jace an annoyed look on her way out.

_She never gives up._

Jace ran a hand over his face sighing. That mess he still had no idea what to do with.

"Jace. Break up with her." Izzy said as she walked over, patting him on the arm, before sitting down next to him.

"What? Iz, I can't."

"Why?"

"Because I was in love with her. I did everything for her. Defied the Clave, defied Maryse, I abandoned Alec for her." He took a breath realizing he had risen his voice at some point.

_Besides we're technically taking a break._

"Past tense. Jace, the two of you went through a lot, but did you ever think perhaps you need to be apart and just learn to be you again? You were possessed by the Owl for weeks. She had that twinning rune to deal with. The psychological trauma of that has to have done something. Break up with her. Sort yourselves out and if you still love her. Get back together."

Jace's gut clenched, a spike of pain blasted through his head, followed by panic that he had no control over his limbs.

_He's begging me. Begging me not to do this._

He jerked an arm. It moved.

Relief hit just as quickly as the panic had set in. Heart still pounding rapidly in his chest, air filling his lungs again.

"Yeah, maybe I should."

_Safe, bland response._

She appeared not to have noticed his panic, gave him a quick hug before saying something about mission reports and training before heading out herself.

Jace followed her to do the same. Moving each individual finger just to make sure he could as he did.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The training room was silent except for the zing for each arrow as it sliced through the air impaling itself in the multi colored target on the other side of the room. Alec brought the silver bow up, drawing the arrow feeling the red fletching just brush against his cheek. Breathe out, he let go of the arrow, letting his arm pull back to wrap around another, watching as the first slammed into the middle of the target joining several others he had already placed there.

The usual peace that would come from firing arrow after arrow never arrived as he had hoped. Instead, the itch that had been in his body since seeing that nurse draw Jace's blood had remained. He refused to explain to himself why he took one of the two vials, now hidden in his room. His body felt frozen. Ever since Jace had left, sometime in the morning before he had woken up, the cold had silently slipped back in. Parabati rune icing over and itching with heat at the same time.

He wanted to talk to Jonathan. The ex-demonic red head had become a twisted, needed friend in the short time they had spent together.

"Appears you have gotten better since your stint in lockup." Jace called as he strode in, heading directly to the practice weapons.

Alec noted the black form fitting shirt Jace wore, letting his eyes briefly travel along the contours of muscle before pulling his gaze to the weapons Jace was selecting. Two swords, then a third sword, and a fourth.

Alec gently placed the bow and quiver down near the wall, safely out of the way. Feeling tension bleed through his body as the familiar pull towards Jace began.

_Don't let it take over this time._

Jace tossed him two of the swords, both he caught easily. Jace just raised an eyebrow in silent challenge.

"Ready to get your ass kicked?" Jace challenged an old, familiar banter to their usual sparring, charged with something more.

Alec could recall each time they fought since he left Edom and the heat that had poured through his body like lava by the end of each clash as well. He tightened his jaw determined to act normal. The Edom infection he could use as an excuse for his actions. He had no excuse now.

_The vial will take the edge off._

With that small comfort in his mind he turned to face Jace.

"Whenever you're ready." Alec challenged back.

Jace barely hesitated before delivering the first attack. Jumping towards him with a quick downward thrust of the sword that Alec easily parried. Sent a second attack before Alec could regain his balance completely, forcing him to dodge and retreat.

Adrenaline spiked through Alec. Jace must have activated a speed rune, because Alec found he barely had time to deflect each blow. Retreating across the room quickly. When his back hit the wall, cornered, he dropped one of his blades grabbing Jace's to launch himself into the air, spinning to come down with enough force to break the sword out of Jace's grip. It clattered to the ground.

Jace smirked at Alec now that Alec had successfully reversed their positions, leaving Jace with his back to the wall.

Jace launched another overhead attack with the sword, Alec easily locked the weapons together above their heads. Sliding them against each other until they pointed to the ground. Alec broke away only to quickly lunge back at Jace feeling the hard metal connect again as Jace deflected it to the side. With both blades deflected to the side Alec raised a leg up and kicked Jace hard in the stomach sending him backwards into the wall. Watching as the blonde head smacked into the wall once before Jace recovered.

"Always have to play rough, don't you?" Jace's heterochromia eyes were alight from adrenaline the fight brought him.

Alec felt a spike through his side, feeling ice and heat at the same time.

_Not now._

Jace must have seen a drop in his defenses, he lunged forward bringing the blade low and swiping up high. Alec deflected the attack, realizing too late that Jace had already spun around and now had the cold blade pressed against Alec's side.

"Got you." Jace smiled, truly smiled. Tapping his blade against Alec's side. "Come on Alec, this is way too easy." Blue and brown dancing with excitement.

That incessant urge grew into a primal need.

Alec growled low in his throat, opting to take a more direct approach to that need. He swung his fist into Jace's face as hard as he could letting the practice blade crack across Jace's face dropping him to the ground in a heap.

_Crap._

Alec bent over Jace's prone body, lifted his shirt slightly and quickly drew the Iratze healing rune along Jace's lower stomach.

Jace groaned, hand coming up to rub at his jaw at the rune did its job of healing him. "Fucking hell Alec. Stop hitting me so goddamn hard all the time."

Alec carefully watched the blonde, expecting some retribution. None came.

"Should have blocked it. Thought it was too easy." Alec sarcastically stated, straightening up only to have his legs kicked out from under him.

Jace grabbed him around the waist with one arm, his other arm locking around Alec's neck, hauling him into a hard body.

Heat blazed through his back causing him to arch away with an audible moan. His parabati rune was on fire. He could barely breathe, just short gasps that cut out before he tried to inhale again.

_Fuck. Need. Need. Need._

The arm around his neck was already falling away, but Alec grabbed it, spun and used it to slam Jace back into the floor.

Brown slammed into wide dilated blue and brown and Alec realized his mouth was just hovering over Jace's sending tingles and shockwaves down his entire body.

_Fuck. Back off. Back off._

Alec could not move, body locked into a war of control and need, breathe still coming sharply.

"There you are." Jace whispered softly.

His brain couldn't figure out the words, just felt the tremble in his right arm, aware of the hard body pressed beneath him. Felt the whisper across his skin but failed to register it as words.

Jace's hand slid up his side skimming the parabati rune.

"Guys?" Izzy's voice sounded uncertain.

Alec launched himself off Jace so fast he nearly sent himself into shock at the change from heat to ice slammed into his parabati rune.

"No!" Jace cried out, reaching for him. "Damnit Izzy!"

"What did I do? You were the two wrestling on the floor like children rather than training."

Alec half stumbled to his bow and quiver, nearly collapsing when he bent to retrieve it. Grabbing his black hair and pulling to try and ground himself. The whole world was spinning.

_The vial. Need the vial._

"Alec? Hey you ok?"

_No, he was the furthest thing from fine. His damn soul was stuck and everything hurt._

"Yes. Fine." He growled out at them, leaning heavily against the wall.

"You don't look it. You look like you are about to faint." He couldn't tell whose voice that was anymore.

_The vial in the dresser._

"Fine. Just need to lay down for a moment." He felt strong arms wrap around him holding him up.

"Come on let's get you to your room."

He was vaguely aware of Jace and Izzy both escorting him back to his room. Of sheets being pulled over his body. Izzy brushing a chaste kiss over his clammy forehead. He heard the door click shut.

The moment it did he rolled out of bed, yanking the drawer open he had placed the vial inside.

_Fuck. He was shaking._

"Alec?"

He somehow managed to attach the needle, thankful for whoever came up with the simple device. And slammed it into his arm.

He never got to depress the makeshift syringe. A hand wrapping around his stopping him cold.

_Jace? _

Rage filled him, felt his face twist into a snarl, that vial of blood was the only thing that kept him sane for a month. He could not survive without it, without giving in to that raw primal need. His fist clenched and he swung but Jace was ready for it. He dodged the fist, twisting the hand holding the vial behind Alec's back pulling hard enough that if Alec moved it would dislocate.

"Give it to me." Jace demanded from behind him.

Alec tightened his muscles preparing for the pain, because there was no way in hell he was giving up that vial. Jace must have felt him tense, the pain in his shoulder ratcheting up a notch. Alec squeezed his hand around the makeshift syringe harder.

"No." He snarled belligerently.

The deadlock held for a moment, Alec straining to hold onto the vial, Jace attempting to force Alec into dropping it with enough pain.

"This is not going to work." Jace informed him, hard body holding Alec in place.

_Like you have any fucking clue what's going to work._

Alec growled at him, baring his teeth even though Jace was behind him.

"Alec. Stop." Jace demanded, Alec could feel his hot breath slide along the back of his neck. It was sending heat and friction down his neck.

Alec closed his dark eyes, dropping his head forward. There was no way Jace would ever begin to understand why Alec needed that vial. He felt Jace shift to free one arm still retaining Alec's hand that held the vial.

"Jace. Please, let me go." His voice came out far too deep and rough, knew he was close to begging and couldn't bring himself to care.

That free hand was pressing against his parabati rune, causing that same madness to enter his bloodstream. Blood stirring with want. His arm started to relax the longer Jace stood there stroking his fingers over the parabati rune, the rest of him felt coiled and tight. Arousal pulsing through him. He could not get his mind away from the hot, heat he felt at the nape of his neck as Jace's breath gusted across his spine.

A slight twist and Jace had the vial. Alec's dark head came back up in a snap, whipping around to chase the vial, ignoring the dangerous pull on his shoulder.

Jace tossed the vial on the bed behind him. Shoved Alec back against the wall, lips grazing his ear.

"I felt you. Let go so I can feel you again." Jace whispered into his ear, lightly biting at Alec's neck.

_This has to be a dream._

Alec moaned arching his neck, nerves firing off, hips rolling forward in the air. Whatever control he thought he had was being obliterated but that mouth. He couldn't focus long enough to string a sentence together.

He turned his head to look back at Jace. Felt his breath falter when he met the blown pupils of his parabati. Spun the rest of the way around grabbing Jace around the neck before slanting their mouths together.

Heat exploded through his body. He growled into the kiss, pressing into the hard body in front of him trying to get closer to Jace. Backing him up until Jace's legs hit the bed. Jace did not listen to the silent demand instead he hooked a leg around Alec's waist twisting them so Alec landed underneath him.

_Don't wake up._

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Desire pumped hotly through Jace. He felt it in the training room when finally after months of silence in the parabati rune he felt Alec again. Felt his soul on the other end, warm and safe. But the moment their bodies parted he couldn't feel him anymore, the icy razor edges returned in shocking force. Alec had become an elusive ghost he kept trying to find.

_Knew you would find me._

Words from a dream so long ago echoed through his mind.

The frustration since Alec kissed him naked in the cell finally finding a way out as he ground against him, soaking up the low groan Alec emitted when he did. He moved his hands across Alec's arms, tracing patterns along his stomach as he lifted the shirt off him. Grabbing the vial in the dropped shirt to toss over the edge of the bed. Alec didn't even notice, dark eyes closed, head thrown back against the sheets.

_You kept trying to tell me what you needed without words._

At the thought Jace slid his hands down Alec's legs slowly, leaned down to mouth at his stomach. Alec gave a sharp gasp, abdominal muscles clenching. Then Jace was hauled up against Alec's body, Alec licking and biting at his neck.

Jace pulled back enough to shift the biting kisses to his mouth, swallowing the low whimper Alec let out. Because fuck, the things Alec's mouth was doing to him was driving him towards the edge and he was still fully dressed. He slowly brushed their mouths together before delving his tongue in Alec's mouth. He lost ability to focus, all he could feel was Alec's hot, sensual tongue slide against his.

_Fuck…_

He felt Alec grip his hips pulling him back and forth, letting the friction guide them. Jace broke the kiss needing air only to shift to Alec's neck, wanting to leave a mark there.

He felt lightheaded and hot, the friction Alec was inducing him with was maddening. He couldn't stop his eyes from watching when Alec moved his hand south to touch himself, towel twisted and forgotten to the side. He knocked the hand aside, needing to touch instead. The moment his hand closed around Alec, Alec's eyes flew open locking on Jace.

That dark gaze held him for a moment before he started moving his hand.

"Jace…"

The moaned name had Jace pressing down on Alec. Alec dragged him in for another hungry kiss forcing him to let go, hands grabbing his hips to thrust up against Jace harder, providing a delicious friction. Chest pressing to chest, hips locked together.

His parabati rune blazed with fire and there. He could feel Alec's soul again.

Alec gave a deep moan coming undone beneath Jace. The sound sending Jace over the edge.


	3. Chapter 3

**Dark Stained Soul**

**Chapter 3**

By: Evey

_6AM._

The vial of blood glinted in the predawn sunlight streaming in through his window. Jace turned it slowly in his hand to once again read the label.

_Jace Herondale._

First that flash of heat prior to Alec nearly passing out. Then Jace had watched stunned when Alec had thrown himself out of bed with an energy that belied the state he had been in a moment ago, scrambling to inject something, followed by that blazing heat and passion.

Jace turned the vial over in his hand again, rubbing his face with the other. His mind felt numb from trying to process the events of the past few hours.

Jace had left Alec sleeping to take a shower and get changed. His own clothes having been soiled like a teen, even with Alec passed out that had been a cutting embarrassment to his pride. Yet whatever that release of heat and passion had been had finally eased the pulse and burn from his parabati rune slightly. He knew that meant something important. He also had no idea what the significance meant for either of them.

_Damnit, Alec you aren't any better are you?_

The fact Alec had just tried to inject himself with Jace's blood like some deranged vampire junkie proved as much. The heated passionate need he had exhibited still left Jace reeling hours later. Mind bouncing implications around like ping pong balls, none of which he could find a straight answer too.

He had barely slept. Instead he had sat drifting and staring at Alec's sleeping form, before returning to his own room with the vial. Staring at the blood filled vial until the letters had blurred together, blinking and staring again at those letters.

A pounding on his door roused him from his internal musings.

"Alec! I know you are in there! Come on I haven't even seen you since you got out!" Max's voice rang out far too loudly for this early in the morning.

_Alec's little brother, of course._

Sighing to himself, he rolled over putting the vial in one of his dresser drawers. He would dispose of it later, once he figured out why Alec was so desperate to have it.

Pulling open his heavy oak door and stepping back to allow brown hair to come tumbling in, just as a cold realization hit him at the same moment.

_He tracked Alec here._

Max was a tracker at heart, it's what he excelled in and now was taking specialized training for. Max tracked everyone just for fun half the time, other times just to ask a question. Tracking was second nature to Max, finding his older brother should be easy. Especially, since he was able to track down Jonathan and Alec together.

Only Alec was not here. He was sleeping in his own room across the hall.

"Uh. Where's Alec?" Max's confused voice, pitched into something lost at the end.

Only his brain was drawing a blank, frozen on repeat of the Silent Brothers words that had been turning over in his mind earlier.

"_His soul rests in your parabati rune."_

After a moments pause Jace managed to get his brain back on track.

_Shit. Need to deflect this somehow._

"Sleeping. It's far too early Max." He frowned, hoping Max didn't voice the question he knew might come next.

"I know he's here. I thought…" Max looked around realizing Alec was in fact, not in the room. "…he was here."

Jace switched his stance to lean casually against the door, arms crossed. "He's across the hall." He nodded his head towards Alec's door. Where he knew a very naked Alec lay sleeping, probably still twisted in the sheets where he had passed out promptly.

_Crap._

Too late, Max leapt across the hall, grabbing the brass door handle, turning it, shoving the heavy door with his smaller body, the heavy oak door didn't move.

_Finally some karma on my side._

The door had been locked at some point after Jace had left, which meant at some point Alec had woken up in the night. A cold and warm feeling filtered through Jace as he realized Alec probably woke for one of two reasons- a lack of Jace or a lack of Jace's blood.

"So how was the great parabati reunion? You've been hogging him Jace." Izzy asked coming out of her room, fully dressed in a navy tight dress, sharp black heels, and perfect makeup.

His brain unhelpfully supplied him with the image of Alec last night, flushed and half out of it moaning from Jace's touch.

Jace wrenched his brain out of the gutter it had fallen into. Gave Izzy a roguish smile. "It was good."

Watched as Izzy's gaze turned predatory, a smirk creeping onto her face. "It was good?" She parroted back. "Did he recover from nearly passing out?"

_Fuck._

The memory of Alec hungrily attacking his mouth tried to derail his ability to think.

"Yeah, we stayed up talking." His couldn't look at Izzy, eyes traveling instead to Alec's door.

Said door decided at that moment to swing open, revealing dark hair and muscles in a black shirt and pants.

Alec paused, dark eyes glancing between all of them, before swinging his gaze into Jace's. "Is there a reason we are holding a meeting in the middle of the hallway?"

Jace stared, there was none of the shaking he had seen in him last night. No strange heat growing in his parabati rune either and the marks he had bitten into Alec's neck were gone.

_Probably an Iratze._

"Hey Alec! Can you train with me today? I haven't seen you since you were released." Max chimed in, ignoring the question entirely.

Alec's dark gaze held Jace's before dropping. He studied Alec as that gaze flickered over his body before snapping back up. Now there was a cold blaze hidden deep in those eyes, a blink and it was gone replaced with some blank emotion Jace couldn't read.

_He's looking for it._

Well tough shit. Jace wasn't going to let Alec down that road, nor to wherever it lead.

"Yeah, I can train with you Max." Alec commented, barely glancing at his brother. Jace caught a muscle twitch in Alec's jaw, the strange staring contest continuing until Alec blinked ordering. "Jace, I need to talk to you. The rest of you get to your assignments."

"Barely out of lockup and already throwing orders around?" Jace couldn't help the challenge in his voice.

"Told you, he never changes. Stalwart warrior even against Edom. It is why they handed him the title of Head of the Institute and not you." Izzy defended her brother, checking her makeup again in a compact mirror.

"Orders you should be following. Jace, give it back. It's mine."

_Your soul or your drug of choice?_

"No. It has my name on it." Jace felt a smirk form enjoying being able to taunt Alec even if it was over something serious. However, his smirk dropped when Alec growled at him advancing toward him in two quick steps. He reflexively took a step back into his own room before squaring his shoulders so Alec couldn't enter.

Awareness of both Izzy and Max looking between the two of them trying to figure out where the animosity stemmed from drew forth Jace's cocky, self confidant side. He leaned into Alec so he could whisper low in his ear. "Let's make this quick. You worry about bright shiny things and less about something red."

He could see Alec clench his jaw tightly, hear the teeth grinding. "You have it all wrong."

Jace tried reaching Alec through the parabati bond again. The slow pulse and burn was still there, so were the icy razor edges.

"I don't think I do." He informed him, crossing his arms to put some distance between their bodies. Alec was way to close.

"I will tear this room apart. Go get it." Alec practically bit the words out while he pointed a hand into Jace's room.

"Jace, stop picking on him. He literally just healed. Give him a break before you start the pranks." Izzy reasoned from where she was still checking over her makeup.

"Fine. He gets it at the end of the day." Jace stated watching as the tension in Alec's body bled out.

_Not giving it back to you ever._

There were obviously some lingering repercussions from having Edom's magic removed from his body. Now Jace was starting to wonder what that exactly entailed, the Silent Brother had said something about not allowing a relapse. His mind kept going over that vial and last night as he went through the motions of breakfast and training.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The white blue of the main map table in the Ops Center shown on Alec's face as he continued to scan his dark eyes across the map, noting each red dot indicating a recent demon attack. The attacks had increased since Edom was destroyed and no one knew if that was due to escaping demons fleeing Edom or a new hellish realm opening up a rift within New York. Maryse returning him to his normal role as quickly as possible had been both a surprise as well as a dose of reality. Their numbers were thinned from too much strife within the Clave, each other, and the demons they were all supposed to be rallied against.

_We'll drive ourselves to extinction if this keeps up._

Strangely, both Lydia and Maryse had continued his operation to bring in more Downworlders as deputies. Their discussion earlier with Lucian had gone surprisingly well. Yet, Alicante still balked at his plan and he had yet to break into that political plain. Granted his recent success at single handily destroying Edom and two greater demons, not to mention any others that had been trapped within Edom as it burnt itself up, had increased his clout with Alicante. They still seemed to hold a distrust for him due to his entanglement with Magnus.

_Past entanglement._

Red flickered across his vision and he turned his head searching for it. Nothing was there.

Magnus brought back the strange thought that he was supposed to be in love with the warlock. He glanced at Maryse across from him as she continued to scan the map as well trying to determine a pattern.

_Suppose to love my mother too._

Yet, all he had felt was a strange detachment for everyone but Jace. He had the memories of everyone and how he interacted with them, but he no longer could bring forth the emotions that came with them. Instead there was a darkness in him whispering for something.

"Magnus was sent out this morning while you were busy training Max and Izzy. He'll review the location Jace and Isabelle uncovered the other day and inform us if he can handle that rogue warlock or if he requires Shadowhunters to track it down." Maryse's sharp voice cut across the table but lacked the blade it normally carried.

Alec's brown eyes flickered over to her, noting two new runes etched on one arm, before his eyes dropped back to the map landing on a spot holding red.

"The demons have a pattern, it's a swirl and originates from here." His eyes shifted from the spot to another slightly to the north pointing at it with a finger before tracing the pattern with his hand, stopping before he completed it.

"I'll assign two people to begin research into what pattern the demons are trying to recreate. We do not need another Lilith damaging the leylines or worse." Maryse acknowledged.

He felt the thrum through the wards of a portal activating within the Institute. Closing his eyes he tried to reach for it. Could remember the aftertaste of the red burning power.

_Blue, electric, hints of red._

Opening his eyes, he zoomed the map in to another recent demon attack. "What did the team say about this attack last night?" He questioned Maryse.

"Some drevaks and kuri, still an infestation requiring a warlock to burn them out."

Annoying nasty little lesser demons that looked like grubs and spiders, just a lot larger and with venom and teeth.

"I'm here." Magnus announced as he strode in confidently, expensive suit and shiny blue shirt, he came to an abrupt halt spotting Alec. "They actually released you?" Pain lanced through his words before a mask dropped over his face concealing the pain Alec had seen flash across briefly.

"Yeah. The Silent Brother said I can return to my duties provided I stay inside the Institute until you finish the charm. Speaking of, when will that be complete?" Alec matter-of-factly stated, bringing his arms behind his back, spine straightening.

"In a few days at most. It's the most I can do for your choice to destroy Edom. I did always say you would blow up the very ground you stood on to make something right. And in true Shadowhunter fashion you did and tried to martyr yourself in the process." Magnus reached out as if he would touch him before drawing back, taking a breath. "If Jace stays by your side you could technically go outside the Institute now. I just would not push it."

"My choice, destroyed an entire realm of demons. It was a victory." Alec snapped irritated suddenly.

There he could almost see it, the blue and red magic within Magnus. Luring him to reach out and take it.

"A hollow victory. I lost you." Magnus sadly informed him.

"And what of your report on the warlock lair Jace and Isabelle discovered?" Maryse interjected before the discussion became awkward in the middle of the Ops Center, she appeared slightly uncomfortable to be standing there.

Alec clinically thought he could not really blame her. A few weeks ago he had been engaged and in love with Magnus, now he felt nothing but a hunger for the magic underneath.

_Control it._

Magnus seemed to gather some internal energy before addressing Maryse. "That is not a warlock lair. I, honestly, do not know what it is aside from something from Edom. The chrysalis at the center housed something like a greater demon considering the thickness of the shell casing. I tried tracking whatever came out of it and came up empty. Whatever it is, is blocking me."

"Do you think it ties into all the other demon attacks?" Alec questioned tracking his eyes across the map before flickering to monitor Magnus and Maryse.

"Doubtful, that was more of a stasis chrysalis than a breeding ground. Whatever crawled out was hurt from the escape from Edom, it slaughtered all of those vampires and humans to recuperate."

"So it had help." Maryse commented.

"Yeah it had help. I think there may be two greater demons running amok somewhere in New York."

"Magnus how easy is it for a possession to take hold in his current state?" Maryse questioned.

Magnus's eyes glittered gold as he inspected Alec. Alec shifted uncomfortably aware of that stare, curious just what he could uncover with that demonic golden gaze.

"I would prefer if he waited until I have the amulet prepared to go on a mission. Would be better for him to take the offer Brother Zachariah offered."

"That was not the question. How easy is it?" She demanded.

Magnus sighed, shoulders dropping slightly. "They would need to physically touch him or travel in through a cut or orifice." Magnus grimaced still inspecting Alec's body. Alec felt tension forming in his shoulders as red flickered through one eye.

_Angel, stop looking at me like that._

"Good. Alec you take Jace, Isabelle, and Clary on mission to some of the new demon dens and clear them out. I do not want to hear about Clary taking off to this chrysalis on some fool's errand. The Clave will have their envoys here for the day for an inspection and meeting again. They are continuing their objective on the souls ejection point, it has been cleaned up but remnants remain. I need you out of here for the duration. Hole up at Magnus's if you need to but I want at least two dens exterminated."

"We'll aim for more, there will be no need to encroach on Magnus's home." Alec looked at Maryse as he spoke, a quick glance towards Magnus before he dismissed the warlock in his mind. He had enough to deal with right now.

Maryse actually appeared saddened by this but she took a breath turning to Magnus to escort him out of the Institute only to be rebuffed. Magnus excused himself saying he would work on the amulet and to update him on that chrysalis when the assigned team returned.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The skulls staring back at him seemed to be laughing at him. He despised them. He hated the cold even more. He had been stuck on some lower level that had taken ages to walk several flights of stairs to reach. Only to be given candles, a single flashlight, and blankets. The letters, however, he clutched in his hands like a lifeline.

Jonathan had grown accustomed to the Silent Brother named Brother Zachariah, he had not grown accustomed to the cold, dampness of the Silent City. The place screamed dismal demise with its rocky hallways far beneath the surface of the crust. You would think he would be used to it by now.

_Seriously, if they were descended from angels you would think they would brighten up the place a bit._

"_I'm glad you can find amusement today."_ Brother Zachariah's voice reverberated through his head.

"It is irony, not amusement." He tossed his head back in half a laugh letting it smack against the stone behind him.

"_Today we shall be facing some of your inner fears. I cannot extract them from your mind, but you must accept them as fact for you to move on. It will hurt." _A touch of warning in his head this time.

"I learned pain. Pain was my companion for years. What will your Silent Brothers do that Lilith could not?" Jonathan asked coldly.

Silence was all he got for a response.

"_Jonathan Morgenstern, do you believe you have goodness inside of you?" _Brother Zachariah's voice echoed in his skull.

_Yes. No. I don't know. Wait!_

"Yes, Alec spared my life from the hell-bent rather than letting me die a horrible death ripped apart by the anger and hate of the souls of Edom." He noticed he had crumpled the letters and quickly smoothed the white pages back out. Carefully setting them on the old wooden desk in his stone room.

"_You are unsure."_

"Of course I'm unsure! I was a demon! I was made to destroy!" He was standing now, eyes darting around the room, searching the small room frantically but there was no Silent Brother nearby. Brother Zachariah could be anywhere in the Silent City for all he understood, speaking to him with ease through his mind. Reading his thoughts.

_I hate you!_

"_What good have you done in your life?"_ The response was not expected, no anger, no hate, just a blank acceptance of what Jonathan had been and what he was now.

_I don't know!_

"_Yes, you do. Start with the people in your life. Clary and Alec to begin."_

"I hurt Clary, I wanted her. I tried to enslave her! What kind of monster does that make me? Alec. Alec I used for my own advantages to destroy Lilith in Edom, because I desired her dead. She held me there for years in torture and pain!" He screamed at the walls, movement caught his eye. He turned and stood staring at himself in the mirror. Red hair, green eyes, a couple faded Shadowhunter runes. He wanted to punch it again, but had learnt from past experience that it was unbreakable.

_Wait. There was something._

"I saved Alec. I brought him home when I couldn't control him any longer. And Clary, I spared her life on several occasions."

"_Deep down you always knew you could be better. You have been conditioned to think as a demon for most of your life. You have forgotten you are also a Shadowhunter."_

"I killed so many of them." He whispered partially to himself, knowing that Silent Brother would hear him regardless.

"_Today is not about regret. Today is about what you see in yourself. Are you the monster you believe yourself to be or can you be what Clary and Alec both seem to want from you?"_

He already knew he would always be there for Clary if she would just allow him. She was the only family that even tried to accept him, even if it was just a moment. Alec would always understand him now, they were the same.

"When can I see Clary?"

"_I want you to select an instrument to play and a book to read. You need to find who you are without the demon first. Your demon died, now you learn to live." _That voice reverberated through his head again.

He did not know how to live. How did one live without the strength of a demon? He desperately wanted to talk to Alec or Clary, either of them. Clary to make her understand he was trying, that he wanted to be good, that he wanted to become a Shadowhunter and right the wrongs he had committed. If by no other way than slaughtering every demon he could find. Alec because he would understand the struggle. The struggle of choosing life again and again. The struggle of relearning how to live when something you thought was vital shifted and changed.

He wandered back over to the mirror. Touching his face, examining the green eyes reflecting back at him.

"Piano and a book on parabati." He whispered the request.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

"Damnit, Alec. I thought you said it would be drevaks and…." Jace had to cut his annoyed complaint short to dodge the massive teeth of the hellhound snapping down towards his legs. He rolled to the side, lashing his seraph blade out to strike the giant beast in the neck.

Its black furry hindquarters flipped forwards from the momentum, its spiked tail lashing around, slamming down towards Jace and he was forced to roll again, cutting the tail off as he went.

It lay still rather than dissipating and he could hear more of the beasts howling nearby sending bolts of adrenaline and ice down his spine.

"These are Hellhounds, Alec!" He snapped over the short range comm, hating how he had lost sight of Alec.

_Don't lose sight of him._

That is what Maryse had told him when she explained why she was allowing Alec to head this mission even without the amulet Magnus was crafting to protect his remaining piece of soul.

_Damnit._

"Alec? What's your position?" He tried again over the comm.

"Busy….level." The garbled transmission just made him more irritated.

Jace looked over at the red head beside him. The only person that had not broken ranks when the Elapids had shown up, massive, snake headed demons with a thick scaled body.

_Fucking hell. No wonder Alec was always so pissed off as leader before._

He eyed the pile of yellow and green goop that had once been several Elapids. Sometime between Jace and Clary picking off the hellhounds and the swarm of Elapids, Alec had spotted something and taken off, Izzy right behind him.

"Can't you sense where he is now?" Clary questioned, green eyes scanning the area they currently stood searching for another attack.

"No, I can't." Jace growled. Pacing back and forth as he tried to reach through the bond to sense where Alec was located in the subway system they were currently clearing demons out of. Slime was starting to coat his boots making the ground slippery.

"Come on. We need to move. Those hellhounds move in packs. Whatever Alec found Izzy is with him." Jace commanded Clary, watching as the red head moved along one wall, before doing another sweep with his heterochromia eyes behind them.

"Jace, I think they went this way." Clary called as her witchlight illuminated a doorway that was partially melted from demon venom, the metal covered in yellow and green ichor. They skirted around it carefully, making sure not to touch it.

_You better stay alive Alec._

A cacophony of baying and howling erupted somewhere in front of them. Jace and Clary both broke into a run towards the source.

Jace stuck to the old railroad tracks, if Alec wanted to go after a demon he would lure it into the open where his range with the bow would be improved. If the demon lured him into close quarters…

_Don't follow it, idiot._

"I thought Maryse said this was a simple nest." Clary sounded annoyed to his left, witchlight casting shadows along the tunnel walls as she jogged beside him.

"Yeah, plans change. You should know that by now." Jace took the next right when the track split, activating his sight rune to search for demonic blood on the floor, walls, and ceiling.

"Yeah they shift about as fast as your moods lately."

Jace stopped, whirling on her. "We are on mission right now. Can you do this when we get back to the Institute?"

Clary looked somewhat ashamed to have brought up their relationship problems in the middle of a mission, but he could see she also did not regret it.

He grit his teeth, scanning the ceiling where Elapids tended to hide. Seeing nothing even with the sight rune activated.

The howling of the hellhounds was definitely getting closer though. He glanced at Clary who was already turning around to face the incoming hellhounds.

There were five of them. Red eyes gleaming manically, their large dog-like bodies careening down the tracks towards them, howling their wrath.

_Two against five, not bad._

Jace activated his strength and speed runes with a thought, saw Clary doing the same with her stele out of the corner of his eye. Jace crouched low, waiting.

The first hellhound leapt, Jace launched himself forward to slam his hand into its back directing its body into Clary's seraph blade. With his other hand he slammed his own glowing blade down the throat of the next hellhound, its jaws nearly taking his hand off when they snapped shut. Demonic ichor spurting from its throat hit his hand as he backed away. He twisted his body into another spin to slash at the third demon rushing by headed for Clary, her smaller size making her the preferred target.

His blade gouged a long line down the hellhound's coarse black furred body, spurting black ichor across the ground and adding more gunk to his boots causing him to lose traction.

Clary stabbed it through its body as it landed, it skidded and lay still near her feet.

The last two hellhounds slammed into Jace at full force, their massive weight throwing him to the ground. He felt one of them sink its teeth into his arm, the other hellhound snapping towards his shoulder. Pain flared through his body as the teeth hit bone, his hand dropped the seraph blade. He grabbed the grip of the blade with his other hand as it fell, reigniting the weapon and slamming it into one of the hellhound's sides, trying to push the blade through to hit the other demon as well.

The hellhound clinging to his shoulder suddenly slumped onto Jace. Dead.

"Jace! Hold on." He heard a grunt from Clary and the weight of one of the hellhounds started to lift off his body. He pushed with his injured arms, shoulder and arm screaming in pain. The dark body flopped to the side with a thud.

"You almost died!" Clary screamed at him.

_I'm perfectly alive not deaf._

Jace fumbled for his stele, but quickly realized that with two injured limbs he was not going to be able to draw the needed Iratze.

"Yeah. Just draw two Iratze on me, one on each shoulder."

Clary was quick to comply, helping him out of his shredded leather jacket and applying the needed runes to each shoulder.

Jace welcomed the burning pain as she drew, waiting until he felt it hit its crescendo telling him when each rune was complete and activated.

"Izzy? Alec?" He hit the short range comm again while Clary worked.

"Here. I'm….Northern Boulevard and…street." Izzy's panting voice crackled across the comm with the sounds of shrieking demons.

Jace could make an educated guess where she was based on the broken transmission.

"Have you seen Alec?"

"Parted at 36th…" the rest cut out, but he had a vague idea of where both of them were located.

_How the hell did they get pushed so far?_

Jace and Clary were down by Lexington, it was going to be a hike just getting to their location.

"Activate your stamina rune." He ordered Clary, before reaching up and hitting the comm again. "Izzy, we are on our way to you. Alec if you can hear this respond."

An affirmative from Izzy, silence from Alec.

"I thought Alec was more strict and by the books." Commented Clary as they jogged along the subway track towards Izzy's last known location.

_Yeah, me too._

A few minutes later Jace brought his hand up, motioning for Clary to slow. Bodies of demons littered the subway in front of them, most had arrows sticking out of their eyes or chests, several had the telltale sign of an adamas whip, more had large gashes indicating a seraph blade.

"Why aren't they vanishing back to the void?" questioned Clary as she drew near one scorpion looking demon.

"I think all of these came from Edom. I don't think they have a place to vanish back too. I'm not really sure." Jace answered, he felt chilled that these demons weren't vanishing back to the void as usual. Either something atrocious was going on here or something that might help the Shadowhunter cause.

Flickering light in the tunnel up ahead caught his attention. It was hidden behind a subway train, Jace motioned Clary to drop low, moving quickly around the metal subway cars.

A whistle, a snap, a crack and another demons cry cut out.

_Izzy._

Jace circled around the subway cars, Clary right behind him. When they breeched the opposite side of cars they found Izzy panting in a sea of dead demons.

Her silver whip lay partially on the ground as she bent over gasping for breath, witchlight glowed at her feet where she had dropped the glowing stone to see in the dark confines of the subway system. She raised her whip before her face drew into recognition of friend from foe.

"Jace. Clary. Why are there so many? I've never seen so many demons packed together. Alec went that way. Said something about finding the leader." She pointed further along the path as she spoke, her black hair hung messily about her, makeup smeared from sweat.

_It better not be one of the greater demons that we suspect is running around._

That would be a nightmare. Alec without part of his soul and only three shadowhunters against a greater demon. Granted Alec had banished Azazel single handedly and had taken out all of Edom somehow. Maybe he stood more of a chance than most.

He tried the comm again. Nothing.

Izzy was already leading the way towards where she had last seen her brother vanish.

An inhuman howl sounded, reverberating loudly down the tunnel.

"That's got to be Alec." Jace sprinted the rest of the way, only to pull up short after the next bend, Izzy and Clary directly beside him.

There was no more track, just a gapping, mangled hole where they used to be a tunnel and track. He couldn't even make out the bottom, all he could make out was a faint glowing blade and hear the screech as something hard and metal hit the ground and dragged.

"Alec's down there." Izzy breathed, she was eyeing the drop into darkness with some trepidation, even with runes it would be a tough drop to accomplish safely. Jace knew she would follow, it was her brother down there. Even if she needed to climb the rubble, she would get down there. Clary would follow.

Reactivating strength, stamina, and agility runes for the extra boost Jace jumped, felt air rush past him as he plummeted. Landing in a rolling crouch when he hit the ground nearly 40 feet below. His legs protested the jump even with the boost from the runes, felt the shirt on his back tear open from the debris he was rolling through to dampen the fall.

World still spinning slightly, Jace raised his blade up searching for Alec. Felt his breath lock in his throat when his heterochromia eyes landed on Alec's form, alive and breathing.

_I'm going to kill him for this._

The irritated thought vanished just as fast as he registered just what was occurring. The demon before Alec was humanoid in form, giant bat like wings extended from its sides, twisted horns sticking straight up into a slight curve, its red-white eyes growing dimmer even as he stared. Alec's entire right arm was buried through the demons chest up to the elbow, seraph blade in his left hand winking in and out.

Jace pushed himself to his feet, foot rolling on something. He glanced down, Alec's bow lay shattered on the ground, a seraph blade deactivated right next to his foot. It was clear the bow had broken before Jace landed on it, he had just made it worse.

Alec yanked his hand out of the demons chest, watching as it sunk to the ground before him.

Jace couldn't see his face, swallowing he realized he was actually afraid to see Alec's face right now.

"Alec? I think we got them all." He found himself whispering to his parabati as he approached slowly, the same circling approach he did weeks ago.

_He's not a rabid animal. It's Alec._

Even in the dark he could see Alec's entire body shaking, muscle quivering.

_Shit. Not now._

The last time he saw those tremors he had Alec pinned against his bedroom wall trying to wrestle the vial of blood from his hands.

_Ok. Don't freak out._

He could hear Izzy and Clary finally hitting the ground from their scrambling climb down to the bottom of the pit.

Alec snapped his dark head up, turning towards the three of them, something incredibly dark and haunted in that gaze.

"I killed him. Agr….." Alec cut out, suddenly whipping back around to stare at the demon on the ground. With a snarl he reactivated his seraph blade and started slamming the blade into the demon's corpse over and over and over again.

Jace's gaze flickered down to the floor, then back up to Alec's enraged form hacking away at the demon. He felt his heartbeat kick up a notch, racing faster as a slow realization dawned on him.

"Alec. Alec. Stop. It's dead!" Cried Izzy, approaching her brother but not getting within range of the madness.

Alec slowed and stopped hacking the body apart, which now oozed black ichor everywhere. He was gasping for breath, the black ichor covered his right arm, Jace wasn't even sure if he was still wearing a leather jacket or just his shirt.

"It's ok. We can go home now." Izzy said cautiously, yet her eyes shone with the gleam of adrenaline from the recent battles. Her clothing was in a similar state as Alec's, demon ichor and dirt smeared across every available surface.

"We can't. I told Maryse I would not return until midnight when the Clave leaves the Institute." Alec said tonelessly.

"Well, we need to go to a hideout nearby then. Access some clean water and get cleaned up before we move onto the next nest." Jace informed them.

"Jace is right. We can't just stand here if there are other nests just as bad as this one." Chimed in Clary, she was already moving back up the pile of rubble to get out of the pit, red hair shining in the flickering light from Izzy's witchlight.

Jace watched Alec move towards the rubble heap to start his climb, swallowed when he saw Alec's right arm tremble.

He couldn't tear his gaze away from it and the sinking feeling in his gut the entire way to the safe house.

O – O – O – O – O – O

The smell of hot chocolate wafted up from the mug Jace was holding that Clary had given him. Izzy sat on the old, stained couch next to him, Alec and Clary in separate beaten chairs further away silently sipping their drinks as well. They were all clean finally, dressed in the spare clothes the hideout had stashed away for shadowhunters. Jace had insisted on going last because Alec and Izzy were covered in ichor and he needed to hold onto some chivalry for Clary.

Even from where he sat he could see Alec's right arm shake slightly whenever he took a drink.

Alec had forced all of them to draw anti-venom and anti-virus runes on themselves both before and after the showers.

"That went south fast. Least we all got out just fine." Clary tried breaking the unexpected silence that had built up.

A few muttered answers back to her from Jace and Alec.

Izzy rolled her eyes. "Guys. So dramatic. We are shadowhunters. We annihilated that nest of demons. The only thing we lost was Alec's bow and my amazingly sexy outfit."

Alec rolled his eyes at that. "Izzy, that nest was nearly four times the size it should have been. There were a multitude of unaccounted for demons. We should have had a larger team to go in there."

"We are the best in New York, especially me." Jace commented with a smirk towards the others.

"Well, the best would have had his head bitten off if it wasn't for me." Claimed Clary, head rising towards Jace in a challenge, daring him to argue the point.

_Stupid hellhounds._

"Ok, I did require a bit of backup." He acknowledged with a small smile towards Clary. " Backup I would have had had someone not broken ranks." He sent a glare towards Alec and Izzy.

"Should have spotted the leader, I called it over the comm." Alec answered with some heat.

"Alright, break it up. Jace, Alec you get one room. Me and Clary will take the other for the night. Jace come with me to help clean up the weapons." Izzy announced, standing up and moving over to their weapons still covered in demon ichor.

"I'm going to check the lower level of the safe house, see if there are any replacement bows or weapons." Alec set the half-finished cup down heading towards the stairs down with barely a glance towards any of them. The heavy clomp of boots on stairs echoing as he descended.

"Guess some things never change." Clary commented wryly, mouth curving up.

"Yeah, perfect soldier." Jace said mouth twisting down after Alec.

"Clary, can you give Simon a call and see if he has heard of anything about extra demons or losing contact with other vampire covens? Maybe get Lily involved." Izzy asked picking up a weapon to start cleaning it in the designated sink.

"Yeah, sure. Simon says the new coven leader, Lily, has been working closely with Lucian so she should help us easily." Clary responded, digging through her jacket to locate her phone before heading to a different room for better reception.

Jace put his mug in the sink designated for food and utensils before wandering over to Izzy, picking up a blade to help clean.

"You and Simon having issues too?" Jace asked Izzy, shooting her bowed head a quick glance before continuing to clean the blade in front of him.

She set the weapon she was cleaning down, looking up at him. "Nope. Just needed her out of here. I needed to talk to you about Alec." She stared directly at him, not even moving to pick up the weapon to resume cleaning.

Jace kept his expression in check, traveling his hand down the blade to remove more of the demon ichor into the specialized sink.

"He's not ok and he won't talk to me. Whatever happened in Edom, a bit of magic didn't heal everything." Izzy stated, dark brown eyes tracking Jace's movements.

"He won't talk to me about it. I don't even fully understand what is wrong to begin with. I wouldn't even know where to begin." Jace looked up at her, trying to convey he was not the right person for this.

"But you are the only one he has let close since he got out of that cell." Dark brown eyes looked at him pleadingly, reminding him to much of another darker pair.

_Damn._

"You know I'm terrible with emotions." Jace tried to sidestep the conversation.

"You are his parabati. You chose to bind your souls together. Be there for him because he won't let me."

"I don't want to make him worse." Jace admitted, dropping his gaze to the weapon in front of him, stilling his hands.

_Hell, I might have already made him worse._

"Jace, he's lost. I'm afraid this is taking him to that edge he went to during Max's first running ceremony."

_Where Alec nearly killed himself by throwing himself off the building._

"But that was due to a warlocks influence. Alec wouldn't really kill himself." Jace felt he like he was trying to convince himself more than Izzy as he stared back at her now.

Alec had never brought it up to Jace after that incident and Jace had never pushed. Instead he had been consumed with his concerns for himself and Clary back then. Now though, Alec's recent actions had been verging on desperate or primal.

"Magnus said those feelings are already there, the spell just enhances them. If you think about it, it hasn't even been a full year, people don't just forget something like that." She wrapped her arms around herself.

_Alec did, he had to. It was never even brought up._

"Izzy it was the warlock. Even if Alec felt that way it was so buried that it took a spell to bring it out." Jace snapped, averting his eyes.

"He broke ranks to kill that greater demon. He didn't care about his safety, he didn't care about his soul being enthralled. He doesn't feel. Jace, he won't even acknowledge Magnus." She informed him.

Jace rocked back on his heels, eyes going wide. There was no way she could know for certain that was a greater demon, not without a warlock or a highly trained medic. And he knew for a fact Alec could feel a myriad of emotions currently.

"You don't know for sure what it was he killed, just that it was a demon."

She sighed, looking away. "He hurt Max during training."

_What?_

"So accidents happen." He tried to brush it off.

"He hurt me too." A cold fact.

_He knocked you unconscious._

His brain supplied unhelpfully proving Izzy's point. Inside his head Jace was screaming denial because Alec had been passionate with him. He had also been desperate, both for the bloody drug and his touch.

_Damnit, what are you trying to do?_

A cold feeling was all that answered followed by the constant slow pulse and burn against his parabati rune. A constant reminder that he was missing something important that was just out of reach, slipping through his grasp each time he looked.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Alec was already in bed and asleep by the time Jace crawled into his own bed on the other side of the room. Jace had stayed up until each weapon was cleaned of demon ichor and had skipped dinner choosing instead to lay on the couch spinning he stele for another hour. Waiting for Alec to fall asleep before venturing into the shared room because his mind kept repeating vividly feeling Alec unravel beneath him. It also kept cruelly supplying Izzy's conversation back to him.

Once Jace got the under the plain covers, feeling the coolness envelope him, he felt his body starting to relax towards sleep. Turning his head he checked on Alec's dark sleeping form breathing quietly.

A part of him wanted to walk over there, lean down and sink his teeth into the nape of Alec's neck and wake him up, just to watch him lose control again, feel him through the bond again. Watching his usually serious and reserved parabati respond to just a touch so forcefully had been one of the most unexpectedly hot things Jace had ever witnessed. And he wanted more.

With those thoughts he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

"_Whatever you need my queen."_

"_Your boy is crying you know."_

"_No! Stop! Please don't!"_

"_He's begging me not to do this."_

_Alec was dying…._

"…_It's time for Jace to finally feel it."_

There was blood all over his hands. He couldn't control his movements. He tried to twitch a hand, it did not respond to his command.

_Stop…_

Clary's body lay dead. Everywhere he looked her body lay dead. Red blood pooling around her stomach, spurting from her throat, and flowing out her side, green eyes vacant.

_STOP!_

Jace bolted awake, thrashing to escape the sheets, striking anything near him.

_He couldn't move!_

Gasping, he jerked his body forward tearing the sheets off his legs.

_Freedom. He could move. It wasn't real._

He struggled to control his rapid breathing, felt movement to his left and kicked out. Struck nothing.

"It's just me." Alec's deep voice rolled across his thrashing mind.

_Fuck. Dream. Nightmare. Just a nightmare._

Jace felt the bed shift slightly as Alec sat down behind him, before muscled runed arms wrapped around his body pulling him back into Alec's strong, breathing body.

Jace went with the pull, zero fight to push away the one person he wanted to reach the most. Embarrassment pulled at his injured pride, but the comfort of Alec's body smothered both.

Alec ran a hand down Jace's left side sweeping over the parabati rune where it pulsed hotly, before sliding his hand up and over Jace's chest.

"You're ok. Shh…You're ok." Whispered Alec into his ear, hot breath flowing across it.

Jace was not sure how much time passed with his back pressed against Alec tightly, but eventually his body relaxed fully into the embrace. He leaned his blonde head back, vaguely noting how his slightly longer blonde hair caught in Alec's dark black.

"Going to tell me what that was?" Alec asked softly, voice barely carrying to Jace's ear.

_No._

That was his immediate response, but damn he was so tired of fighting Alec every step of the way. Always pushing him away, the only time he had even felt Alec through their parabati bond since Edom was when he went after him, chasing him down and following that damnable instinct.

He squeezed his brown and blue eyes shut hard. The parabati rune growing warmer pointing him towards the next step.

"It was a dream. A nightmare, really." Jace swallowed. "I was the Owl."

"You were. It's over now. You survived it. You struggled against it against all odds and came out alive when you were finally broken free." Alec quietly said still stroking a hand across Jace's parabati rune and running a hand up his chest.

"Tch, I went to the Silent Brothers to have the memories removed. They refused. Said I needed to learn to live with what I went through, that it made me who I was." Jace's lip turned down in a small grimace at the memory of being rejected by the Silent Brothers because he wanted to heal.

"That is the point of living. It's a struggle. It does not make you weak to fear possession again. It makes you normal."

"The great Jace Herondale, normal." Jace scoffed and forced a small smile, knowing Alec couldn't actually see it, could practically picture Alec rolling his eyes at him for the statement. "So what's your struggle?" he asked after a moment.

"Knowing you died." Alec said bluntly. "That you came back and did not trust me enough to tell me."

Somehow Jace figured that response was just the tip of a much bigger iceberg of issues.

"People die." Jace matched the tone.

Alec sighed deeply, running a hand down Jace's arm. "People don't usually come back to life from an angel wish like you did."

"Yeah most people don't exterminate an entire hellish realm in one go either. Still haven't told me about that." He tried to ignore the shivers that arm was inducing in him.

"Why can you never trust me?" There was a roughness to that voice that made Jace want to drag Alec closer. He stayed still, keeping his back pressed to Alec's chest, enclosed in his arms. Not wanting to break the flow and strange peace he held here even as the question made him want to squirm.

"I do trust you." The words felt flat even to him. "Fuck, Alec, I don't know when we built all the barriers to each other."

"Then drop them. First barrier. Do you regret coming back from the Owl?" Alec's left hand tightened on Jace's leg as if he expected him to run from the question.

"Of course I don't regret it. I want a life to live. I have a life to live."

"Descensus Averno facillis est. The descent into hell is easy. Trust me it is. I know you that. Now crawl your ass out and get back to heaven." There was a demand in there for something else. Jace wished he understood Alec enough again to decipher it.

_Yeah you went there literally. Had it running through your veins._

Jace had had one demon running around in him and it had kept him from controlling his own limbs leaving him with nightmares weeks after it was destroyed by Magnus. Jace didn't want to think about what having the power of Edom run through your body did to your mind. He knew it sliced the soul.

_What does it feel like to have your soul cut in half?_

He left the question unvoiced. Jace was too exhausted to deal with whatever rage and violence that question no doubt would bring forth from Alec.

He squirmed his body in Alec's arms in a silent request to be let go.

Jace barely heard the whisper but when he did he felt a tendril of heat form low. "No, not letting go."

"Then don't, just scoot down so we can try and fit in this blasted bed together."

Alec loosened his grip long enough to allow Jace to move into a more comfortable position laying on his side before he shifted to lay beside him, tracing a pattern along Jace's side. Jace tried to reach for him through the parabati bond again. He could physically see Alec, yet all he could feel from him was the slow pulse and burn and those damnable razor edges.

_Damnit, where are you?_

"Alec, stop blocking me through the parabati bond." Jace requested after a while.

The palm on his side stilled, dropping away. Alec rolled onto his back from his side, dropping a leg to the ground to keep himself from falling off the small bed.

"I'm not blocking you, Jace. I just need to…" There was a rolling dark undertone to Alec's voice that sent Jace's nerves skittering.

"Yeah, if I bite you again will you let me in?" Jace watched as Alec's whole body seized tightly before Alec lashed his right hand lightning quick grabbing Jace's jaw tightly.

"Would you let me in?" Alec challenged back barely brushing their mouths together.

_Yes. _

Jace felt his parabati rune's pulse and burn sharpen with heat as soon as Alec deepened the kiss. Waves of heat spiraling through his body starting from his center.

Felt Alec's soul slowly unfurl within the bond again, Felt the stirrings of the first emotions reverberating through it. Jace struggled to reach for them from his end of the bond.

Alec pushed his hips against Jace with a low growl, dragging teeth against Jace's lower lip lightly.

"I can't stop…"

Jace was buried under pleasure from those lips that it took him a moment to understand what Alec had just said.

They were parabati. This was supposed to be the one thing they avoided at all costs. Yet, every instinct in Jace demanded this was the correct path.

_I can feel you again._

That's all that mattered, he could feel Alec again when his mouth slid down his neck.

Could feel the life force from Alec beating between them steadily through the bond.

"I know…" he whispered back to Alec before dragging another kiss across Alec's mouth, hand gripping his neck tightly.

Alec dragged a hand down Jace's chest, twisting his hand in Jace's shirt tugging the material away, letting his fingers graze against Jace's abdominal muscles.

Jace didn't care where the lust was stemming from anymore. He only understood he wanted more, had wanted more since the other night when Alec had responded so forcefully to something meant to stun him and drop his defenses.

Jace twisted his hips up on a thrust, tugging with an arm, turning them so he was on top, grinding down on Alec.

_Fuck…_

Alec lay beneath him, dark eyes blown with lust and hunger. Alec reached up with both hands grabbing Jace's hips impatiently to start to grind them against each other more forcibly.

Jace leaned down to kiss him harshly, demanding Alec let him take control. A low groan escaped his dark haired parabati as he arched his neck back exposing his neck.

Jace latched onto it immediately. "Touch me." He hissed at Alec his own breath ragged.

He felt Alec tense in surprise dark brown eyes darting to meet heterochromia brown and blue. Jace watched as the brown darkened further with lust as Alec processed the request.

Alec flipped them both over faster than Jace could blink. Yanked Jace's pants down, followed by his own and was back on top gripping both of them in one hand.

_Holy fuck that shouldn't feel this good._

Jace yanked Alec down to him to attack his mouth, deepening the kiss as much as he could. Feeling his mind start to blank under the pleasure. He tried to fight it, the moment he let go he wouldn't feel Alec through the bond again, he knew that instinctively. The parabati rune felt alive pulsing to the rhythm of their bodies.

He could feel sweat coating his skin as Alec pushed them both closer to the edge with harsh, strong strokes.

There was something he wanted to ask Alec but his lungs were burning for air and his mind washed white as the heat swept over him.

He exploded, it tore through him in a wave. He arched hard into Alec's grasp, his cry swallowed in a harsh kiss.

Jace stayed lost in the warm high of the aftermath longer than he in ages, if ever. A cool stickiness finally brought him back to his senses.

Opening his eyes he met the sated dark brown in Alec's, parabati rune slowed to its usual steady pulse and burn, hotter than before.

O – O – O – O – O – O

It was afternoon the next day before they finished the second demon den and returned to the Institute. Sunlight blazing down harshly had helped immensely in cornering the demons and even with the solar assistance Alec knew it was a larger den than expected. Still it went smoother than the night before.

Currently, he and Izzy sat before their mother in her joint office with Lydia.

"More Institutes need to be informed of this. Demons not returning to the void is unheard of and you aren't the first patrols to mention this." Maryse summed up what they had just informed her easily.

"Alec and I believe it is due to the destruction of Edom. The demons have no passage." Izzy nodded her dark head slightly.

"Clary's sunlight rune will need to be taught to every shadowhunter around the world as a way to burn the bodies of the dead demons. None of us are certain what the dust and remains can do to shadowhunters or anyone else." Alec stated.

Maryse looked between the two of them before rubbing her head. "There are already procedures in place to distribute knowledge like this easily to other Institutes. I'm unsure if any other Institutes have contacted the Clave with similar reports."

Izzy shot a glance at her brother, before turning back to Maryse. "There is something else."

Alec brought his dark eyes towards his sister, trying to figure out what secret she was about to spill.

_What are you going to say?_

"Alec was covered in demon ichor during our first demon nest extermination. I think he also killed a leader or a greater demon. I want the medics to look at him and no more missions until Magnus gets him that amulet." She had leaned forward slightly while speaking, hands kept tightly in her lap.

Maryse snapped her gaze from Izzy to Alec. "Is this true?"

_No point in lying._

"Yes. Also I'm fine. All of us were covered in ichor. I had everyone apply anti-virus and anti-venom runes as soon as we could and again after cleaning up." Alec informed her.

"That's your body Alec. What about your soul?" Maryse's voice broke slightly in concern for her eldest son.

_The red power he had felt._

"My soul is fine too." He told them both forcefully a little annoyed, at her disbelieving look he added. "Jace was near me afterwards."

"Well, Magnus will be here to deliver the protection charm today." She glanced at the clock hanging off the wall. "He should be here any minute. Izzy make sure Alec sees the medics and request Magnus to do a scan."

"Stop treating me like I'm not here. I'll see the medic myself. Send Magnus down to the infirmary when he gets here, if I'm not there I'll be working on the report." Alec flatly stated pushing to his feet and striding out of Maryse's office.

It was nearly two hours later before Magnus actually appeared in Alec's office where he had kept busy sending out the messages to other Institutes about the sunlight rune and how to dispose of demonic bodies properly.

Alec felt Magnus long before the door was pushed open. That seductive electric blue magic calling to be harnessed and unleashed.

Alec closed his eyes as red sparks fired across his vision from the right.

_Control._

"I see you are mostly in one piece." Magnus's voice from the door made him open his eyes slowly.

The warlock stood just outside the threshold wearing a dark red jacket covered in small studs, the usual black fancy dress shirt and pants, golden cat-eyes glittering.

_Never glamours them around me anymore. Odd._

"I had some help." Alec responded, tracking the movements of the warlock as he entered wandering over towards Alec's desk.

"Your soul protection amulet." Magnus held out his hand, partially dropping the necklace from his grip so that it dangled in the air, silver-white crystal glinting and flashing slowly. "The chain is made of iron reinforced by magic, it will not break."

Alec reached out to take it, paused when the red sparks flooded his vision. He dropped his arm away, shaking his head.

"Alexander, are you refusing a gift?" Magnus raised an eyebrow at him. His mind registered it as an old signal but came up with a blank when he reached for the emotion behind it.

"No. Its…"

"It's not going to kill you Alexander. Take it."

Alec reached out with his left hand and snatched the chain out of Magnus's grasp, pulling away before the electric blue magic could sink into his skin.

_He wanted that magic in his veins._

He went to clip the chain together at the back of his neck, but hesitated. Hesitated to long when Magnus spoke.

"Allow me." Magnus circled around the desk, hand trailing along the wood.

"I don't need it. I didn't need it on the mission either." Alec snapped, clipping the chain into place, and standing up. Magnus had frozen where he stood, golden eyes gleaming sharply.

Something shifted in Magnus's face, some deeper understanding. In that moment Alec hated him for it, for the knowledge of centuries and for his power.

"Alexander, your mind is a battlefield, you have always been its commander. Don't let this turn you into its soldier."

"I'm not."

_God, he wanted that magic in his veins. Feel its power again._

"You can't feel can you? Oh, Alexander take the Silent Brother's path, you are already half way there. Why put more of yourself at risk?"

"I'm not at risk! I know…I know how to control it." He fisted his hands on the desk, glaring.

"As I suspected Edom's grasp hasn't released you even though it no longer flows through your veins."

Red flashed across his vision, he could feel it forming under his skin, the magic sluiced from that demons heart.

Magnus slide his feet apart, whipping his arm around in a large circle, blue electric magic coalescing before him before he punched it straight at Alec hitting him square in the chest throwing him backwards into the wall behind him.

Alarms blared within the institute.

Alec's vision slowly cut out as he saw Maryse burst through the door.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Cornered.

Jace despised the feeling as a shadowhunter, always being taught by his father to keep his exits open.

Clary had officially cornered him regardless by the piano. The room was large as most of the Institutes rooms were but only had one exit, unless he wanted to climb out the windows behind him.

_Not a bad idea._

She had closed the door behind her and latched it when she had arrived.

"We need to talk." She announce fiercely as she had strode in just as he had sat down to play.

_Really don't want to talk about this._

"Listen I don't know what is going on with you. I'm about ready to have Izzy check if you are possessed because you aren't yourself." She had her arms crossed, staring down at him from the other side of the black piano.

Jace felt his hackles rise at the implication.

"I'm not possessed. I know what that feels like and have been maintaining my angelic rune to ensure it doesn't happen."

"Jace all you do is focus on the mission lately or vanish to god knows where. It's like the Owl all over again." She had stopped in front of the piano where he sat.

Jace tightened his hands into fists over the keyboard.

"Don't. Don't go there with me." He shook his head, glaring at her in hurt and anger.

"Then what is going on with you? You asked for a break and I gave you that, but you just keep pulling away. You told me this was real. Its real isn't it?" Her bright green eyes burning with too much emotion, that Jace had to glance away.

"I don't know. We gave everything for each other and there's nothing left. I can't keep living like this."

"Living like what? In love? Because I thought that's what we had."

It was what they had, when he believed it. If Jace could turn back time he wasn't sure he would have wanted to fall in love with her now. Loving, lusting after her had destroyed him on so many levels.

"Clary since you entered my life, I fell in love with you, but I also lost myself. I was this soldier that was expected to be perfect and I had a family, a family that cared about me. I threw it all away for you, repeatedly." He met her eyes needing to see how she absorbing the news.

"You didn't lose yourself Jace. You came alive. Izzy told me that it was like you had woken up finally. You can't just shut down." She was begging him now, moving around the piano to try and take one of his hands.

He drew back not allowing her to take his hand.

"Clary, I'm not shutting down. But we've both been possessed, both been hurt by someone we thought was our father, and I just need time apart. I can't be with you right now."

He couldn't bring himself to explain the parabati bond and how it was messing with his head. How his conversation with Izzy left him wondering if he had ever loved Clary or if it was all just another lust filled relationship built around adrenaline.

Tears were filling her eyes, but her spiteful spirit won easily. "We haven't slept in the same room in weeks. You go to Izzy for your runes now. What did I do wrong? Or are you just afraid to be in love when you have sex?" She practically spit the last question.

Jace grit his teeth, felt his jaw twitch in anger and annoyance, but stayed silent. He wasn't sure how to explain what he was feeling. What he felt for Clary felt pale now compared to the burn that had taken up residence in his body every time he got close to Alec.

_Not like I'm confused enough._

"Is this about Jonathan? Because he isn't going to murder you or I now. I've been talking to him via letters the Silent Brother lets me send him. He's trying Jace. He feels sorry for what he did to you, what he did to us." Her voice had fallen to a softer tone, losing some of the anger.

_Lies all lies._

Jace closed his eyes briefly. Jonathan had been on his mind, but for a completely different reason.

"I just need you to let us go." Jace kept his face blank when he turned his heterochromia gaze back to Clary. She looked devastated, like she couldn't understand he wanted to end everything. Clary shook her head back and forth trying to deny what he just said to herself, eyes shedding the tears that had been building since she walked in.

Jace bulled onward needing to prove his point. "You and I need to be apart. We thought we were siblings for a time and still thought we were in love. That's pretty messed up. And don't even get me started on the issues with Jonathan's obsession with you and how you seem capable of forgiving him after everything."

Clary drew back fast enough her red hair swung in the breeze she created, her green eyes wide and hurt. "And you just want to what…forget everything we went through?" she whispered.

Jace grimaced knowing his next words would hurt, but still met her green eyes across the piano. "Yes. I need to know who I am again. As me."

"I know who you are. We can get through this together." She tried again to salvage the relationship, tears still shining brightly on her face.

"No. This is it. I'm done." He blinked, wetness rolled down a cheek.

_Damnit he was crying._

Clary spun on her heel, storming from the room with a slam of the door. He heard her crying as she fled away from him.

Slamming his hands down on the keyboard in front of him to release the discordant sound did nothing to ease the feeling of loss and confusion welling up inside him.

He choked back a sob curling over the keyboard, wishing he could understand what went wrong so fast that made him want to end it so badly.

Yet buried beneath knowing he no longer held Clary resonated a peace allowing him to breathe easier. His breathing evened out as his mind found peace. A small breath of peace he hadn't realized he was searching for until he felt it.

Now all he had to do was figure out how to fix Alec and himself and that peace could extend from one moment to something longer.

That's when the Institutes alarms blared loudly through the quiet.

O – O – O –O – O – O – O

"Izzy!"

Jace yelled her name as she sprinted through the Main Ops Center room, high heels clicking loudly against the floor, she had hiked her red dress up a bit to run easier. The Institutes lights were still flashing a warning red, but someone had thankfully cut the blaring warning sound.

She just made a motion for him to follow, hand still holding her phone to her ear.

"I found Jace, we're on the way." She said into the phone before she took off in her high heels.

_The way where?_

Before he could even voice his thought Izzy was twenty feet ahead of him running faster than he'd ever seen her run for any mission.

_Shit._

Whatever it was it was bad.

Jace grabbed hold of the corner of the wall to swing himself around it faster slowly gaining on Izzy in her headlong pursuit. As they sprinted closer Jace could deduce where she was headed.

_Institute Heads offices. Maryse or Alec._

She abruptly halted in front of Alec's office door, Jace nearly slammed into her back needing to veer himself into the wall instead having misjudged which door she was aiming for.

"Mom?"

His heartbeat froze, he flew into the room searching for a body, a demon, anything to attack or defend.

Jace stopped, hand upraised with seraph blade on.

There was a dent in the far wall, Magnus stood weaving blue magic back and forth across something behind the desk, dread filled his stomach. Maryse stood leaning over the desk, runed arms supporting her heavily but she had her head turned to look back at himself and Izzy.

_I couldn't feel this._

"What's going on?" Jace asked as Izzy brushed past him rounding the desk quickly, before Maryse stopped her.

"It would appear Alec was exposed to demonic energy on your mission yesterday. Magnus says Alec attempted to hurt him."

"He went to the medics, the results came out fine. I was with him the whole time." Izzy cocked her head to the side trying to recall anything amiss from the morning or yesterday.

Magnus cut his magic from whatever spell he was weaving on Alec. "Not everything can be detected with Shadowhunter magic. Take your wards for example. It would seem either his mind or body, perhaps both, remember and recognize Edomic magic."

"Which means what?" Izzy asked managing to scoot past Magnus, kneeling next to her brother and stroking his dark hair.

"He's addicted to it. His body released most of his angelic power when he broke the wards to Edom's souls. Edom filled that empty place. When I removed that magic, it left a high risk of addiction to magic in some capacity." Magnus stated if all matter-of-factly, carrying his High Warlock of Brooklyn persona.

Jace squeezed by the immaculate warlock and sat down beside Izzy as well, picking up Alec's Edom stained arm and running his hand over his wrist. Alec appeared fine, no marks, no bruises, no blood, just the faint black lines down his right arm that would always be there.

"Is this like yin-fen?" Maryse questioned flatly, her face had lost most of its color.

"No. In that it won't kill him if he does not get his next fix."

There was a low groan from the floor as Alec returned from unconsciousness or a spell Jace wasn't really sure. Either way he found himself smiling down at Alec as he came around, rubbing soothing patterns along his wrist.

"Hey big brother" Izzy reached out and promptly punched Alec in the shoulder as soon as he started to sit up.

"Ow!" Alec's dark gaze shot to his sister with a confused frown, like he couldn't figure out why she was there. "What was that for?"

"You should have told me if you were having cravings for something. Yin-fen recoveree here, I could have helped you."

"I don't have…." Alec's gaze snapped towards Magnus. Jace who had been observing Alec the entire time watched that gaze shift through several emotions before landing on something akin to hunger.

"Nope." Jace moved before Alec could get his legs under him, sweeping a leg under Alec when he tried to stand and wrapping both arms around Alec's body securing him in place. "You aren't going anywhere."

Magnus had drawn back a step, one arm held up carefully cocked wrist blue mist spilling out, his expression unreadable and monitoring Alec with dark brown eyes.

"Magnus…" Alec started.

"Don't. Alexander look at me, look past the magic." Magnus walked slowly towards Alec, paused. "I love you Alexander. I will be here for you, but I will not be your snack. Give your body enough time to replenish the angelic magic and the cravings will cease."

Jace felt Alec tense in his arms and he tightened his hold. "Easy. I've got you. I know Magnus looks sexy and tasty but whatever you are thinking you'll regret it." He said into Alec's ear.

Magnus raised a glitter covered eyebrow in Jace's direction.

Alec growled at him, attempting to throw an elbow into Jace's ribs. Jace kept his previous hold preventing any movement. "I don't want his body, I want…" Alec snarled.

Jace pulled his forearm up and across Alec's neck cutting off his ability talk. "Stop talking."

Alec's body went taut against him.

_Don't freak out._

Jace wasn't really sure how he was going to handle the situation if Alec decided to respond with something other than violence.

_Concentrate._

Jace focused on activating the parabati rune with his angelic blood with a thought.

_Don't panic._

He felt its power growing coalescing prior to activating, knew his eyes would be glowing gold.

_Fire. Heat. A connection was forming. A razor edge of ice swept towards him._

Jace blinked dropping the use of his angelic power just as Alec's entire body pitched forward in a howl. Heard Alec cut off and retch half way through the piercing cry. His stomach turned over at the sound, but he refused to release the burning body in his arms. Before awareness of his parabati rune burning with enough heat it felt like someone had placed a brand on his side, only worse.

"Well, that's one way to remove demonic taint. My magic eliminated most of it, but what did you do Jace?" Magnus's voice held a strange awe.

_If I knew I'd tell you so you can fix him faster._

"Uh…instinct…Parabati rune." Jace managed to grit out, lifting his shirt to check on the rune with one arm, retaining a hold around Alec with the other. It was glowing and pulsing to the same beat it typically carried.

_Still there._

Jace flopped back against the wall exhausted. Alec shook free of Jace's hold.

"I can't….I can't….I can't…." Alec crawled a couple feet from him and was laying on his side muttering to himself.

"Think he needs a sleep rune?" Izzy questioned Jace and Magnus, her scared brown eyes darting between the two.

"I think that would be wise." Magnus commented.

"No!" Jace yelled.

Izzy appeared just as torn between their responses, before inching towards her brother.

"Iz, just give him a minute. He needs a minute." Jace informed her.

_A minute to get back in control._

He knew he was going to get interrogated about the parabati rune activation later, but right now all that mattered was bringing Alec back from wherever he just went in his head.

He waited and watched Alec's whole body shivering.

_It's just like back in the cell._

He picked himself up off the floor enough to crawl over to Alec's side, dropping his head on Alec's shoulder. His physical nearness had always seemed to calm Alec down before, may as well try now.

_Work, please work._

Time passed, Jace could make out the sound of the clock ticking it in the silence, before finally Alec released a normal breath.

"I'm ok." Alec's voice sounded raw and guttural, but more normal.

Jace lifted his head off Alec's shoulder, glancing at Izzy who was still half crouched with a hypodermic needle in her hand.

"Who are you?" It was Magnus's voice, calm and flat.

Alec's gaze slowly lifted to the warlock, before cocking his head slightly. "I'm Alexander Lightwood."

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The skulls still stared back at him, smiling at all the deaths that had befallen them.

Unless they were smiling at the new music Jonathan put forth since acquiring the piano. Perhaps smiling for the simple joy of a sound they could never hear in death.

"_Tell me about Valentine Morgenstern."_ Brother Zachariah's ethereal voice plundering through his mind in the early waking hours as Jonathan sat at the piano practicing.

"He was afraid of me. He wanted to control me and use the demon within." He responded with his usual calm tone, letting none of his emotions leak into it.

"_How did that make you feel?"_

Jonathan's fingers hit a wrong note sending out a discord to bounce back at him from the underground rock tunnels, amplifying his mistake.

"Furious."

"_How do you feel since your return from Edom?"_

Jonathan paused his music, hands held gently over the keyboard. He cocked his head to the side almost as if he could picture the Silent Brother standing in the room with him talking.

"Light. I feel light."

"_Good. You go to hold the Soul Sword."_

The metal door to his dorm…cell…sanctuary creaked open, grinding on its ancient hinges. Brother Zachariah stood on the other side, face calm and peaceful, hair still frosted with electric blue dye, bland grey robes.

Fear pierced his heart in a shot. He wasn't ready. He was a demon. He was raised as a demon. He couldn't be anything other than a demon

_I will protect you._

Words spoken from another person, another time, another place calmed his racing heart.

He could do this, no one saves a demon.

Jonathan stepped out of his cell to follow the Silent Brother to the room holding the Soul Sword.

O – O – O – O – O – O - O

Alec stubbornly glared up at the ceiling in his bedroom. Its dull pale color had various twists and turns woven in by whatever painter had decided to slap it on over the years of maintenance. He was not speaking to the other two people in this room, both seated annoyingly on his bed rather than anywhere else. He could feel the dips in the bed from their weight.

_At least the bed's softer than the cell floor._

"Alec, come on. Mom has pulled you from all missions even with the magic amulet Magnus gave you until you can prove to her you have this under control. Talk to us." Izzy pleaded from her spot on the bed.

_Probably still has a dose of medicine to knock me out with hidden in her dress._

His jaw ticked as he raised his eyes to the headboard just to make Izzy's dark form blur and leave his line of sight. Unfortunately, that brought the blonde into his line of vision.

Jace had parked himself directly beside Alec's head the moment he had collapsed on his bed with an order for them to let him sleep. Neither of them had listened, instead torturing him into wakefulness.

"Alec, when I was recovering from yin-fen, it felt like I was always to hot or cold and my body felt weak. What does magic feel like?"

_Red. Electric. Power._

His parabati rune gave a pulse of warmth across his side, he itched at it.

Jace nudged his side with a leg. "No falling asleep. You need to talk to us about Edom too."

That pissed him off.

"There's no Edom to talk about!" He snarled locking his eyes on Jace feeling a strange thrum go through his body.

"Uh huh." Jace looked unimpressed with the anger, leaning back casually against the headboard, spinning his stele through one hand. "Just lost half your soul." He deadpanned.

"Fine. Magic is life. It's power. It's what let me tear…"

_Look what you've become, such a pure shadowhunter._

Alec rolled to face away from Jace. "It let me survive." He whispered instead.

"I don't think that's why you survived. I think you survived regardless of magic." Jace sounded too confidant, sitting there spinning his stele in his hands.

_He doesn't know what he's talking about._

"How do you absorb magic? Magnus said you took magic from the demons we fought." Izzy questioned, trying to reason her way through some of this.

"I kill them." He deadpanned at her.

"Liar." Jace called him out instantly. "You rip their hearts out."

Alec whipped around already swinging a fist into Jace, Jace caught it easily twisting so Alec had to roll awkwardly with it.

He lashed a leg out to knock Jace off the bed with a kick, which surprisingly landed. Alec shot off the bed after him only to realize it was a trap.

Jace kicked his legs out from under him, grabbing one arm to pin it to his side using his body weight to hold Alec down.

"And then there is this. Getting kind of predictable parabati." Jace said into his ear. Alec could feel the stubble from Jace's jaw rub against his cheek when he spoke.

"Get off me." He said coldly, putting as much pissed off frustration into that one sentence as he could.

_Izzy is right there._

Jace sat up, but didn't get off his back. Instead straddling him more firmly. "Nah, I think you'll talk more like this."

He heard Izzy snicker from her spot on the bed.

"I'm going to kill you." He growled at Jace trying to twist around before trying to push up from the ground with his arms. Jace just batted his arms out from under him.

"You won't. You need me too much. I'm your sanity."

It was too close to the truth. Alec exploded his body upward throwing Jace off him. Twisting to throw a punch.

"Alec stop with the violence. This isn't like you." Izzy said from the bed, but she didn't move to assist or stop their tussle.

Jace caught him in the side with a tackle, knocking him back down again to land on his back.

Alec froze before turning to dirty tactics, grabbing a fistful of Jace's blonde hair and pulling his head up.

"Ow! Let go! Bastard!"

Alec smirked evilly at Jace.

Jace smirked back eyes alight even through the pain on scalp.

Alec frowned in confusion.

"I'm going to bite you if don't let go." Jace panted, half laughing.

_Fuck._

Lightning chased through his body, heat pooling low and hot, too fast for him to control it.

_Control it._

Not like ever could control this, he gave in every time. He could feel the warmth spread from the parabati rune pulsing through his body. That pulse went straight to his groin.

_Damnit, no._

There was no impossible way Jace couldn't feel his arousal right now, but Jace didn't move from where he had Alec pinned.

Alec loosened his grip on Jace's hair but didn't remove his hand completely.

"Jace…" Alec wasn't sure if it was a warning or a plea.

"There you are. You hear me. Stay here." Jace dropped a hand to the parabati rune, pushing on it.

"What just happened?" Izzy voice pierced the haze around Alec's mind. He was still rock hard, Jace was still on top of him. Embarrassment flooded him even as the need kicked up another notch.

"Izzy get out." Snapped Jace.

"No. He's not stable."

"Get out. It's his soul. Get out!"

"What? Why? I can help."

"Get out!"

Izzy scrambled to obey the desperation in Jace's voice, closing the door with a soft click.

Jace pushed down against Alec in a slow grind.

"You survived because of our bond, idiot." Jace informed him.

Alec yanked Jace's head down to him for a kiss, harsh and demanding, begging for release.

"Yes. Fuck, Jace. I heard your call." Alec said against his mouth too lost in the feeling of warmth spreading through him.

Jace broke the kiss to yank Alec's shirt up, mouthing his way down to their rune. "This has been driving me insane." He grazed his teeth along Alec's skin.

Alec could only groan in response, thrusting up in an attempt to gain friction.

Jace turned him over so he was laying on his stomach, placing a hand over Alec's parabati rune that was emitting heat through his body in waves. He felt Jace's other hand working to free him from his pants.

He didn't care what it looked like, he got to his hands and knees to thrust better into Jace's hand.

"Move." Alec demanded when Jace wasn't moving fast enough. Felt Jace bite his shoulder in response, naked chest to his back.

_More._

Alec thrust back against Jace, feeling an answering hardness when Jace moved with him.

"Always going to be this easy." Jace panted harshly into his ear, but Alec could hear a smile in there, a challenge.

He wanted to answer it, but the parabati rune and the familiar madness was driving him forward to fast. All he got out was a choked moan. Pleasure concentrated between his legs and zeroed in on Jace thrusting against him.

"Damnit…Fuck, Alec." Jace moaned brokenly into his shoulder.

Alec was vaguely aware that his parabati rune was emitting golden light, but all his focus was turned towards Jace grinding into him and that there were too many clothes still involved.

He broke the rhythm and spun around grabbing Jace around the waist to throw him on the bed. Yanking the irritating pants off Jace's body before the other could protest much. He dropped to his knees on the floor, before licking Jace and swallowing him down.

Jace reached down fisting his hands in Alec's dark hair, thrusting into Alec's mouth before dragging Alec back up into a kiss.

"Need…" Alec couldn't get the rest out before hot mouths clashed again.

Jace rolled Alec so he could take control again. "You are going to stay with me this time." Jace husked at him, eyes smoldering.

_Fuck. I'm going to come from that look._

Jace leaned forward and licked Alec's shaft. Before repeating what Alec had started to do earlier, swallowing Alec down as far as he could get.

Alec threw his head back on a stunned cry, because he never once expected this from Jace.

He felt his body tightening, a sheen of sweat breaking out, felt Jace rub one hand along his velvet sac, the other running over his parabati rune in a feather light touch.

That touch did it, Alec bucked up into Jace's mouth, hot magma bursting from his body.

Jace backed off immediately, face heating in a blush. Alec tugged him in for a kiss, rolling them so he could return the favor.

Alec glanced up in question at Jace when he got there.

"What? You're hot and um….feeling your soul again…it, um, got me off." Jace smiled down at Alec.

"You always going to be this easy?" Alec smirked Jace's earlier words back to him before crawling back up to kiss him.

Crawling under the covers and sending Jace a look that he should do the same. Jace snuggled under the blankets with him easily rubbing circles along Alec's arm.

"I heard you calling me from Edom. You were a white light, the only source I could follow. So I followed it and now I can't figure out how to get it back." Alec told him.

"Pretty sure we're on the right track. I feel your soul every time we…" Jace waved his hand between them, suddenly awkward.

"Wait. Sex god Jace Herondale can't say fucked?" Alec laughed at him.

Jace shot him a glare that softened almost instantly.

Alec searched Jace's heterochromia eyes registering something shining there he never expected to see directed at him and definitely wasn't sure he deserved anymore.

_Those eyes are hypnotic._

Alec found himself leaning over capturing Jace's mouth again just for the taste.

"Alec, stop. This…we need to talk." Jace gently told him, pushing him back slightly letting their mouths touch briefly.

_No. Never._

Talking meant bringing up his old and current feelings. Talking meant explaining the location of his other half.

"What is there to discuss?" Alec asked turning to rest his head against Jace's side over the parabati rune.

"Still feel any cravings?" Jace asked him point blank.

The question washed away the warmth that had cocooned around him, zapping the happiness with it.

Although now that he thought about it he didn't feel physically cold anymore, didn't see any red flashes across his vision, and the constant need to be closer to Jace had decreased substantially.

"No." The word surprised him. He hadn't felt this normal in over a month, not since before Edom.

He reached over to run a hand across Jace's side.

"Alec, look at me. There is a Silent Brother that believes part of your soul is stuck inside my parabati rune somehow. I don't know if he's right or not but based on how you've been acting-"

"I'm not acting any differently." Alec interjected sharply, rolling away to search for his clothes.

"You have two modes towards me lately Alec: violence and this. You've ignored Magnus, the person you were engaged to. And now this magic craving." Jace sat up watching him intently but calm.

Alec growled at him. "You couldn't bring this up prior to earlier?"

Jace's jaw ticked, forehead creasing. "Alec, I'm your parabati and our bond held through things that should have destroyed it. I'm starting to believe the missing part of your soul is being protected here." He pointed at his side where the rune sat in stark black.

_Well, he's right about that._

"If that is true, it doesn't explain how to give it back."

Jace paused, head cocking to the side recalling something. "I think you knew how the moment you first saw me when we brought you in after Edom. Instinctively you already know that answer."

Alec stood staring at Jace in conflict. Jace couldn't possibly be implying what he thought. Then again they'd already been dancing around each other listening to the call of heat and pattern of a pulse neither understood.

"I'll tear you apart." Voice low and husky again.

"Not if I beat you to it." Jace easily challenged back reaching over to grab his pants from the floor. "But I think Izzy might be questioning what's going on in here."

"Just tell her you left me to sleep. I'm sure Clary will cover for you."

Jace had his shirt halfway over his head when he responded. "I broke up with Clary. And Izzy already has a bone to pick with you, seems to think you are unstable. Good luck with that." Jace grinned at him remorselessly.

_Shit._

"You aren't the least bit worried about that?"

"Nope. We're working on healing you. Different altogether."

Alec's parabati rune which had been emitting an even warmth through his body rapidly cut out, razor ice edges returned punching whatever had taken up residence in his body out. Removing heat and replacing it with a desolate craving.

_Control it._

O –O –O – O – O – O – O

The Soul Sword rested in his palms again. It's cool metal touching his hands again. Long silver blade and ornate golden hilt laying quiet against his skin.

_It doesn't burn me._

Jonathan was certain he would never get over that amazement. The sword should have killed him upon touch, but thanks to Alec and a bunch of souls he was free of that curse his father had placed on him.

_I don't have demon blood anymore._

Another amazement he still woke up from thinking wasn't real.

He clenched both hands over the blade just to feel it slice into his palms slightly.

_Pain._

That was what he should have felt the moment the soul sword was placed into his hands for the interrogation with the Clave.

The Clave members stood around the room at varying distances. Four Silent Brothers stood around him their long plain grey robes and stitched faces. Brother Zachariah, with his strange blue spiky hair, stood behind and apart from him a short distance away, an Inquisitor before him. They were still far underground, rock and stone along the walls, rock for benches, skulls and runes scattered in select intervals around the room.

"You stand before the Clave for your crimes as a demon blooded Shadowhunter. Are you still demon-blooded?" The inquisitor sternly began the days questions.

_Simple._

"No." Jonathan answered.

The inquisitor and all others in the room waited a moment looking at the sword. The metal remained quiet in his grasp.

"Did you plan to annihilate all of Edom?"

_Ahh. So it wasn't about his attacks on the Institutes today._

"Yes, I wanted my mother, Lilith, dead." He informed her coldly.

"Why take the realm with her?"

That answer was more complicated and Jonathan could feel a slow heat building in his hands as he thought it over. He ignored the pain easily thinking it over, remembered tracking Lilith to Asmodeus and Magnus's home only to find a lone Shadowhunter.

"An opportunity presented itself to end her permanently. I used it." He stated flatly.

The sword cooled immediately. It was the truth, as much as he was willing to give.

"We have reports that the demons from Edom are not dissolving back to their realm because of the realm known as Edom's destruction. Were you aware you were exterminating your own kind?" The Inquisitor's sharp steely voice cut towards a truth he was still grappling with.

Jonathan could see she was already frustrated with his short responses. But they had been already been over Valentine Morgenstern and Jonathan's childhood in previous days. This was just their next step towards either his death or redemption.

_I wonder if they'll give me the cell instead. Its quiet, out of the way, I wouldn't even be bothering anyone._

"Answer the question." The Inquisitor snapped.

"I did not realize the souls behind the gate would command enough destruction to successfully exterminate a realm." That truth came a bit harder. He hated admitting he was wrong.

"How did you, a demon, survive?"

_Alec. They wanted to know about their escape._

The soul sword glowed yellow, runes igniting, biting into his flesh with its power.

_Derail it._

"Power." He gasped out, green eyes staring daggers at the Inquisitor.

"What power?" her irritation was rising, he could see it.

"The souls." Jonathan expected the sword to remain quiet after that but it did not, instead glowing brighter, demanding more of the truth. "The souls pulled the demonic essence from me." He bit out angrily.

The swords insistent power stopped.

Jonathan sagged but held onto the sword, dropping it would mean he refused the question and certain death.

There was a mummer of voices from that statement, people shifting in the room. He kept his eyes on the interrogator. Focused on that woman's face, her clothes, memorizing every detail.

He wondered if he should have an urge to kill her or if he was just fascinated with someone unlocking secrets they shouldn't be.

"Did you want to give up being a demon?" She sent her next question as a barb.

He narrowed his green eyes at her. "I wanted a family. I wanted Clary to love me!" He hissed at her.

"Yes or no?"

He realized he was undecided on the matter. He had always wanted to be free of the nightmare, but now that the power was gone. He found he missed what had always been. But he wanted to be good, didn't he?

The soul sword continued to glow a brighter yellow as he contemplated, its power digging into him searching for a truth to expel from his mouth.

_The dichotomy of good doesn't exist for people like us._

"No. I don't know how to live as anything else." The words broke out of him.

The Inquisitor's face flickered with something to fast for Jonathan to take in, before resuming her irritated appearance.

"Do you want to kill all shadowhunters and mundanes?" That blasted woman had barely moved an inch the entire interrogation.

Guilt was starting to rise up in him. He couldn't look at her anymore, dropping his gaze to the sword. The Silent Brother had said guilt was a normal emotion, Jonathan hated it. He had no idea how to cope with it.

"No. Not anymore." Still staring at the sword as it remained quiet.

"One last question, how did Alexander Lightwood survive?"

_No! no, no, no, twist it. Twist the truth. Cunning you were always cunning._

The sword lit up brightly in his hands, yellow white light shining onto his face and shirt. Burning brighter. The pain he could deal with but the urge to spill the truth was pulled from him regardless by the swords power.

"He didn't." Jonathan dropped the sword as soon as the words left him, stepping back away from the pedestal.

"_Inquisitor. That will be all further questions for now. Jonathan Morgenstern still requires a great deal of mind healing. I do not wish to send him back to his old self." _Brother Zachariah's voice reverberated through everyone's heads.

The Inquisitor looked torn between furious and respect for a Silent Brother before conceding "Jonathan Morgenstern's crimes still need to be paid."

"_He shall pay them here in the Silent City until we deem him ready."_

Jonathan just stared at the sword in horror.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The training hall echoed with the sounds of wood clashing back and forth as Jace and Izzy practiced with escrima sticks. The room they had selected was filled with columns, tables, chairs, and other items meant to teach a warrior how to dodge and use the environment to their benefit.

Jace deflected three quick blows Izzy threw at him in quick succession her attacks forcing him to retreat to keep blocking. He kept his eyes trained on her movements waiting for the opening.

Izzy swung for his head, slightly too wide.

_There, an opening._

Jace ducked the swing, knocking one stick with one of his own wooden sticks away in a sharp clack. Hitting her leg with the stick in his other hand. Before effortlessly spinning around to rest one on his shoulder casually.

"I think staying up late watching movies with Simon is catching up on you." Jace taunted, smirking at Izzy.

"Jealous I have a sex life right now and you don't? Pity. I thought you might have found one a couple weeks ago. You did have a stupid grin on your face at dinner that night. I still am curious who the lucky person was." She paced in front of him searching for an opening.

Two weeks since he had felt Alec's soul through the bond, two weeks since that overwhelming heat had blown up his perceptions of what he wanted. Again.

_The feel of hands in his hair pulling gently._

Jace didn't deign her a response, swiftly attacking in a jump aiming one stick in a large arc over his head, the other in a sideways swing.

Izzy deflected both and they went back into the rhythm of attack and parry before breaking apart again.

"You should be proud of me. I took your advice and broke up with Clary to work on myself. Can't help it if someone else finds me attractive." He kept his voice light and self-assured, parried two more of her attacks before smacking her on one arm before putting one of the large columns in the training room between them.

"Uh huh, you know Clary went to the Silent City to visit Jonathan. Apparently, stayed there a couple days. She hasn't talked to me about it yet." She informed him before swinging to hit his lower leg, he dropped the stick down quickly to deflect the blow.

"Jace? Izzy? Have either of you seen Alec?" Max called from the doorway looking lost.

They stepped apart from the mock fight to glance over at him. A column in the middle of the room separating them from viewing Max just yet.

"Just track him." Izzy called in mild impatience over her shoulder. "We're training."

"Yeah, I did. It's the same problem as before. It leads me to Jace. And mom got some news from a Silent Brother and needs Alec in her office, like 30 minutes ago." Max said as he walked into view.

_Crap._

Jace wasn't quite certain why he had been hiding this fact from Izzy or the blood he had stolen from Alec that had probably gone bad in his dresser drawer, but he had because Alec had looked so lost without it.

"Wait, why is this the first time I am hearing about this?" Izzy turned around to face her youngest brother.

"Uh…" Max shot a look to Jace.

"He knows!" Izzy whirled back around to face Jace. Jace tried to look apologetic. "Max can't track Alec and neither of you thought this might mean something was wrong!?" Izzy yelled exasperated, throwing her arms up and glaring at Jace.

"When was the last time any of us saw Alec? Maryse has him on lockdown anyway." Jace racked his brain trying to recall the last time he had laid eyes on dark black hair. It had to have been last night at dinner, maybe right before that during training.

"I'll check the other training halls and the courtyard." Izzy said.

"I'll go check his room and the roof." Jace called as he put the weapons away quickly.

"Um…what if I track the other?" Max asked shifting on his feet nervously.

_What?_

"What other?" Jace practically snarled.

"Well, whenever I try and track Alec its split. The bulk of it leads me to Jace, but there's always this faint trail leading elsewhere. I always thought it was just Edom's influence on him but it's still there."

Adrenaline dumped into Jace's system. He brought a hand up to the parabati rune trying to trace Alec, same pulse and burn then those damnable icy edges.

"Max? Have you ever tried following that trail?" Jace dreaded the answer but he needed to know.

"Yeah…but something blocked me before I found where it led, but that was ages ago."

_Fuck._

Jace started pacing. "Ok, calm down. Izzy, if you find him don't approach him. Just call me. Max try tracking him again, just enough to tell if he's inside the Institute or not."

Max brought his hands up in front of him, holding the dagger he had been using to track Alec with. Max rewrote the tracking rune and closed his eyes concentrating.

"Jace, what aren't you telling us?" Izzy demanded, hands on her hips now.

Magic, blood, skin on skin. Demonic essence removed. Jonathan's dark voice telling him Alec would be addicted.

_Holy shit, this is not happening._

"I think Alec is becoming a demon." Jace watched as all the blood drained from Izzy's face.

"What?" She managed to squeak out.

"He's been craving my blood, Magnus's magic, and…other things. I think some of them help him, but I don't know which ones help and which ones don't anymore." He averted his eyes from Izzy as he felt his face heat up in an uncharacteristic blush.

_Not entirely true._

"Guys….Alec's not in the Institute." Max called, opening his eyes. "He also blocked me."

Jace punched the column before leaning the head heavily on it.

_Focus. Treat it like a mission. A retrieval mission._

He turned his head against the column to look at Max, who was looking paler than Izzy. "Give us the general direction. Izzy and I will take it from there."

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The scent of smoke, oil, ichor, fire, and dirt is was starting to overwhelm his senses.

Alec paused within the shadows he currently hid, dark eyes tracking the demon den in front of him.

The demons lay in piles, the living tearing apart their own dead to consume the blood and magic within. The demon bait he had planted earlier long since consumed, sending them into their current frenzy.

Alec drew his bow back slowly, breathing in as he lined up the shot. Breathed out and released the dark arrow.

_Zing!_

The bolt flew across the air to slam into its target. A demon at the far back that had gorged itself on blood and magic. It died with a shriek, purple blood splattering the dark ground. The rest of the demons swarmed in a roiling mass over recently deceased.

Alec moved quickly to a new location, always remaining within the shadows, ensuring he never left the downwind side of the den regardless of the fumes burning his nose. His eyes never left the demon that drew the largest share from the one he had just killed.

_Just a couple more and it will be ready._

A couple more turned into hours of patiently waiting, killing, and watching which demon became the strongest. Then repeating the process over and over again.

Until what had started out as a hive, dwindled to two demons. Both facing off against each other, smoke-like limbs lashing and gouts of fire spewing from their mouths in small bursts.

_Cannibalism is going to become very common among demons soon._

He had heard accounts of it, but never seen it. There were always other sources for the demons to feed off of easily.

Alec pulled the bow back, feeling the red fletching touch his jaw. He could see the magic coursing through the demons veins now, crackling with a red light. A few of the angelic runes on his body were starting to burn, sensing his intention.

The arrow slammed into the demon on the right. The last remaining one stood up on its haunches, skeletal smoky face sniffing the air, ignoring the last carcass.

_Finally._

He strapped the bow to his back quickly, tugging once to ensure it was secure, before grasping the Seelie blade drawing it out of its sheath quietly. He had already positioned himself above the den for most of the night and would need a few more feet to cover before he could execute the drop.

Alec took three running steps along the ledge before leaping out into the air, bringing the blade in line with the demons chest as he fell.

The demon lashed out with smoky tendrils, splattering the ground with a slick oil like substance. Fire orange started to form at its mouth preparing to ignite the oil slick and burn Alec.

Alec's blade slammed into its chest, momentum carrying him forward and driving the demon down where it remained pinned to the ground thrashing once before stilling.

Drawing the blade carefully through its chest cavity, the oily nature of the demon he had destroyed making it difficult to locate what he was after_._

_Come on. You all have a center, a heart._

He could see the red magic pooling along the ground, drifting away as the demon began to cool. He would not lose it, not after employing so much patience for this. He doubted he would be able to escape the Institute anytime soon.

He drew a small cut along his right arm before sinking it into the demon ichor, ignoring the part of his mind that was screaming at him to stop. Instead focusing on the gaping hole Edom and then Magnus's magic removal spell had carved into him, removing angelic and demon power respectively. The power flooded in through that small cut.

_Smoke and oil._

This magic felt unlike what Edom's souls had provided, lesser. Vastly different than Jace's blood or touch managed to invoke in him. But magic was magic, it was easing the pain throughout his body soaking into his veins. He had decided he was not about to lose control and hurt Jace, which limited his options to this.

The power slowed to a trickle faster than he desired and he yanked his arm out of the ichor filled chest.

He checked his phone for the time. Seven missed calls, three voicemails, all from Jace and Izzy.

_Crap. They knew he wasn't there._

He double checked the time on the phone. Hours had passed. He had planned a couple hours at most, what read back to him on the phone was nearly an entire day.

_There was no easy way out._

He didn't have a contingency plan, couldn't blame it on staying at Magnus's anymore, and clearly had two people looking for him. A small part of him angrily informed him he always had a plan, but this time he had been so consumed with trying to control a spiraling need he hadn't thought.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

They were still in Magnus's loft waiting for the warlock to complete his tracking spell on Alec. Ancient ornate items scattered throughout the loft, excessive taste everywhere Jace looked.

Jace sat on the sofa twirling his stele through his fingers on one hand, other pressed to his parabati rune trying to sense an iota of emotion from his other half.

Izzy sat messing with her phone having said something about tracking Alec's cell phone through hers. Apparently, something Simon had shown her how to do previously.

Magnus remained cocooned within his bubble of blue magic swirling around the dagger Izzy had given to Magnus to use for the tracking.

"I've located Alexander. He's near the Institute."

Jace launched himself off the couch, landing smoothly. "Where?"

"Opening a portal there now."

Magnus swung one arm in a large circle with a burst of blue magic the portal appeared.

Izzy and Jace both stepped through together. He was ready for anything. Demon, carnage, violence, but not Alec walking down the street holding what appeared to be takeout and a slushie.

Alec paused when the three stepped out of the portal, dark eyes tracking over Izzy, Jace, and Magnus.

Alec rolled his eyes up at the sky before looking back at the trio. "What's the emergency?"

Jace blinked, brow furrowing. He was expecting something like what Jonathan had exhibited before he had metamorphosed into a normal shadowhunter, madness and violence.

Alec had been avoiding him the last two weeks claiming he was catching up on Institute work. Jace couldn't even question him about it because of the increase in demon attacks had left him on mission nearly every day. But Jace had felt it, a magnetic pull to return to Alec and finish what they started.

"You are." Magnus stated when neither Jace nor Izzy answered immediately.

"Well?" Alec brought his arms up, still holding the food awkwardly, as if to indicate _here I am_.

"We thought something had happened to you?" Izzy swiftly walked to her brother before enveloping him in a hug.

Jace hadn't moved, his earlier panic felt stupid now. But his gut had been screaming at him he was right. He responded with his gut instincts in most battles, allowing training to take over first and foremost. But, this wasn't an enemy, he was trying to fix his parabati.

Jace's gaze raked across Alec's body searching for scrapes or blood. All he found was a black leather jacket smeared with some oil, black pants, his bow and quiver strapped to his back, and a Seelie blade.

_Takeout with a Seelie blade, huh, I'm not stupid._

"Been cooped up in the Institute to long, just left to grab something to eat. I know Mom doesn't want me on missions for another week minimum. But I think I'm safe enough to walk a block."

"Have any to share?" Izzy jabbed her brother in the side with an elbow.

"Maybe."

"Well, if my day has been wasted enough. I will be on my way." Magnus sounded irritated to be there now they had found nothing. Magnus swept an arm out opening a portal presumably back to his loft but paused with his back to them. "Alexander, do you remember when you told me "Emotions are nothing but a distraction"?

Jace watched Alec cock his head at the warlock. "Yes."

"Use those emotions." Magnus sounded choked and he quickly stepped into the portal, expensive suit vanishing along with the portal.

_Well, that was cryptic._

"Do you ever miss him?" It was Izzy, she was looking at Alec with a strange expression.

"I think I'm supposed to. He reminds me of Jonathan, a bit. Come on, let's go to the courtyard to eat." Alec jogged up the steps to the Institute.

_The murderous asshole? Magnus is the exact opposite._

"You know he misses you." Called Izzy after him.

Izzy turned to face Jace, bringing her hands to her hips. "If you have some issues with Alec and being separate from each other to long maybe you should take that up with him. Not drag me and poor Magnus on a wild goose chase." She tilted her head towards the door. "That is not a demon."

Jace turned his head to the side, eyes on the door to the Institute. "Yeah…definitely not a demon."

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

"Well, since you two don't want to drop any hints about your love life. You get to hear about mine." Izzy announced as she lay sprawled out in the grass of the courtyard, face tilted to the sun. Alec leaned against the tree under the shade, while Jace had chosen the wall nearby to use as a backrest. Alec had given up most of his food to the other two and they now sat comfortably in the sunny afternoon shade.

"Iz, do we need to listen to this?" Alec rolled his eyes up before sliding them over to Jace.

Alec's eyes darkened when they met Jace's brown and blue heterochromia, he could see it even with the shade and a couple feet between them.

"Yes. Because frankly the two of you suck as lovers now."

"Hey! I take offense to that!" Jace cried breaking eye contact with Alec to glare at Izzy's form laying in the grass. "I think I've slept with more people than you two."

"It's not a competition, Jace." Alec coldly stated.

_Fuck. He should not have just said that._

"Tch. What I mean is I have more experience understanding love." Jace amended.

_Oh god, that was worse._

He heard Izzy's quiet laughter as she rolled over to look at Jace bemused. "Care to explain it to those of us who haven't found it?"

"Alec was the one about to get married. Twice. Make him explain it." Jace waved a hand at Alec, praying Izzy took the bait.

"Not much to explain. It ended." Alec said flatly, shoulders hunching in tension.

Jace felt his own body tensing in response, awaiting the violence he knew lurked underneath.

"Well, Simon and I seem to be moving towards love. Maybe that's where I went wrong before. I always had sex and then tried for the relationship. This time I had a friend before we tried for the relationship."

"Yeah. Clary and I were the same. I jumped in blind." Jace forced his body to relax in the sunlight, half closed eyes studying Alec.

"You liked making out with her enough. Everywhere." Alec growled lowly at him.

_Would be doing that now._

"Alec has a point. You did manage to screw up the mission with Clary because you couldn't keep it in your pants." Izzy pointed out.

_Sonofabitch. Alec told her that!_

"I was drugged! And if Alec had decided to actually be helpful and shoved some mental images or cold thoughts through those Seelie rings I might have done better."

"You were-" Alec began.

"Excellent. Let's test it." Shouted Izzy, digging through her bag.

Jace snapped his gaze from Alec to Izzy who was now looking at the two of them like prey. He felt trepidation slither its way through his body tensing his stomach as it went.

"Test what exactly?" Alec growled.

"The Seelie rings. Put them on. Share some thoughts."

"Absolutely not." Alec said, standing up.

A link to Alec's emotions. A direct tie to communicate their fractured bond.

"Sure. You have them with you?" Jace found he had reached out and was holding Alec's wrist to keep him from leaving. The skin was shockingly ice cold, followed immediately by the parabati rune flaring from its pulse and burn, burning hotter.

Alec wrenched out of Jace's grip with a low gasp. Jace could see Izzy raise one eyebrow.

"Yeah. I brought them with thinking we would need them for our goose here." She handed one Seelie ring to Jace, its silvery color gleaming in the sun, vines of metal twining through the loop. She handed the other to Alec, who slowly took it but did not put it on.

"Scared?" Jace challenged as he slid his on over a finger.

"This is pointless. You aren't drugged Jace. This exercise is futile." Alec flatly informed them. "Try it with Izzy."

"I think you're scared I might find some hidden dark secret in that pretty brain of yours." Jace prowled towards him. He could feel the tension in the air between them.

"I'm not doing this with you now."

"You've been doing this with me since the moment I found you." Jace stopped in front of Alec, taking the ring and sliding it over Alec's finger.

_Red. Cold. "Use it!" Darkness. "Look what you've become!"_

Jace managed to rip the Seelie ring off, head pounding sharply with pain.

Alec handed over his Seelie ring utterly calm and controlled. "Here Izzy, I don't think Jace is up for a trip down memory lane today."

"Your parabati runes are glowing." Izzy pointed out, somewhat happily, standing up quickly.

Jace rubbed his head trying to dampen down the pounding and the chill. "Yeah, I agree with Alec. Let's not do that again."

_Shiit. That hurt!_

Jace closed his eyes against the memory of Jonathan Morgenstern's voice. That was something he had never wanted in his head again. That laughter, that thing moving his body, nearly killing Clary, piercing Alec's lung with the arrow.

_Keep it together._

Deep breathe in.

_Clary is safe. Alec is…Alec is…_

Jace snapped his eyes open, reaching into himself for the angelic power. He shoved as much of that energy at his parabati rune that he thought it could handle, activating it. Golden light shining brighter than before through their shirts.

The response from Alec was instantaneous, he choked before bending over to vomit up something black and tarry.

Izzy scrambled towards him with a cry.

"Next time you go hunting demons for their magic. You come to me first. Try and tear me up as much as you want. Otherwise, I rip it out the hard way." Jace rolled his shoulders and flexed one hand, bending each finger. They moved at his command.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Jace lay staring up at his ceiling, one hand behind his head, his stele remained unmoving in his other hand.

Maryse had placed Alec essentially on house arrest, even had clipped two bands to track him around his wrist and ankle. That had been a five days ago. Izzy had been monitoring his blood each day and had Alec on a strict diet to try and improve blood replenishment to try and curb the magic addiction. Alec had increasingly been getting more violent during that week, resulting in Magnus coming in to place wards around Alec's room. The Silent Brother Zachariah informed them they had everything they needed to cure Alec. He had not explained how, much to Jace's irritation.

_Blood. Magic. Soul._

He rubbed the hand holding his stele across his face. He knew he would regret the decision he had arrived at. But first he needed to speak to a certain redhead.

There was a light knock on his door.

"Hey." Izzy spoke softly as she entered before sitting down next to him on the bed, dark hair spilling down her shoulders. She stayed silent seeming to be battling with some internal argument.

"How is he today?" Jace asked, knowing she had just come from Alec's afternoon checkup.

"Physically better, but it's like he keeps slipping. I see glimpses of our Alec and then it's just consumed by this irrational rage. He keeps asking for you."

Jace touched the parabati rune its burn had been increasing lately.

"I think I just make it worse." Jace turned his body away from her.

"Yeah. I told you I don't believe that." She paused taking a deep breath. "I saw how he responded in the cell. I deleted the videos."

Jace flipped over quickly to stare at Izzy wide-eyed. "You knew this whole time?"

_That squeak was not his voice._

Izzy smirked but it didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah, I was waiting for one of you two idiots to tell me. But you kept this strange pattern going and look where it got you." She waved one hand for emphasis.

"Iz, I'm not sure what I can do anymore to help him. I was planning on going to the Silent City and speaking with Jonathan about Alec. There is something that maniac knows that we don't."

"You sure distance is what Alec needs right now?" The barb hit hard. All he wanted to do was sit down and talk to Alec without it ending in violence.

"I think what he needs is something I won't give him."

"Have you thought about it?" She held a tight-lipped smile that he immediately grew wary of.

Jace threw himself backwards to lay on his back so he wouldn't need to meet her dark eyes.

"No."

He could see that tight-lipped smile bloom into a devilish grin. She smacked him on the arm. "So what are you waiting for?"

He blinked at her, before scowling. "Have you seen his mental state right now? He's practically insane. He has zero room to even make that decision right now."

"Want me to have Magnus move the wards in his room around to allow you to sleep near him? Like you did outside his cell. His better days are when you visit."

He ran a hand over his face again. Everything was coming back to bite him today. "I don't know. Let me know if you do. I'm going to talk to Clary before heading to the Silent City."

He rolled off the bed heading for the door to accomplish this task.

"Jace, he needs you."

_I know._

O – O – O – O – O – O

The piano had been decorated with all his favorite skulls. Jonathan had moved them from their places along the walls into a pristine pile on the piano. Their smiles staring at him in neat rows to provide the audience he played to.

"_You have a visitor. Jace Herondale." _A Silent Brother's voice bounced through his skull causing him to miss a note.

The rage didn't arrive as it used too, instead he just picked up where he left off continuing to play until he heard movement outside his sanctuary.

Jonathan's hands stilled on the keyboard as he brought his red head up to glance casually towards the door. "Did you break him?" He chuckled darkly.

"I'm here to ask you what happened to his soul in Edom. What you did to bring him back." The dark blonde stood glaring at him, those mismatched eyes blazing with fire.

_This took longer than expected._

"You aren't the Clave. If you ask me the right questions I might give you the right answers. Give me the wrong questions and your parabati dies." Jonathan knew he was baiting the blonde but he just couldn't help it. The man had been a thorn in his side as a demon and now was too stupid to figure out instinct.

"What did you do to bring him back?" Jace demanded again, arms crossed in front of him, face hard.

"I built him a cocoon of power. I fed his body any demonic blood I could get my vicious hands on." Jonathan conceded this, it wasn't particularly relevant anyway.

Jace stood for a moment thinking something over. Jonathan observed that jaw clench in tension.

"_I need him"_

Jonathan despised having a conscience talking to him in Alec or Clary's voice sometimes. One of the irritating things about not being a demon he was still getting used too. He tapped a few notes on the keyboard before speaking. "He protected me, when the souls of Edom were released. They would have destroyed my body and soul, but he brought all that power in and protected me, guided them to change me. Then he harnessed it and destroyed everything I knew. It was glorious to watch. For one brief moment he was a god. Magic like that comes at a steep price, that price was his life."

Jace's arms had dropped into fists. "Then how did he survive? How do I bring him back?"

Jonathan prowled over to the barred door, grinned predatorily when he saw Jace take one step back. "Your parabati bond saved his soul. It's there, locked within your bond seeking a release you will _never_ give him. Your love for Clary will be the death of your parabati. I put him in that chrysalis to give him a chance, a debt owed. That debt was completed the moment he crawled from that shell. I should have let him vaporize himself with that power, it would have been humane. It wouldn't have taken much, just a push."

"So why didn't you!?" Jace snarled, he had grown pale.

Jonathan took a step away, moving back over to the piano, running a hand across the keys gently. "He understood me. He saw that I could be different, provided me a chance to survive. I kept him alive because he chose for me to live. I could only return the favor."

He picked up one of the skulls, examining it mostly for the sake of Jace and to watch him pale further. "Tell me. Has he devoured any demons? Any particular warlock? Has he tried to take you yet? I can imagine the pain of having demonic magic coursing through a body built for angelic blood but with no soul to truly combat it…"

Jace bolted from his view, he could hear his boots pounding down the hallways. The echoes becoming quieter.


	4. Chapter 4

**Dark Stained Soul**

**Chapter Four**

By: Evey

The stone walls were rushing by him too quickly, turning from grey blocks into a grey blur. The stone echoing back his footsteps as he madly dashed back towards the surface of the Silent City, relying on memory to get him there.

_Light._

Jace burst out of the Silent City's gates into fresh sunlight. Its light filtering down through willowy clouds. Flame red hair in front of him. He struggled to take a breath.

_Dirt. Grass._

"Jace!?" Clary looked like she had been trying to gain his attention more than once.

"Yeah?" Jace's mind was still in turmoil with memories of the Owl and the realization that he was on a timer to save Alec.

"Well, what did Jonathan say? Did you ask him what you needed too? Did you see how much he has changed?" She questioned him rapidly.

"Nothing good. And he hasn't changed, he's still a dick." Jace focused on answering the questions and moving past the turmoil.

Clary drew her head back, mouth opening on some retort that didn't come.

"I need to get to Alec." He told her. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was a start.

"My brother's not a dick, Jace. He's trying to recover from years of conditioning. He was trained to kill you. But instead he gave you the answers you wanted. Right?" Her flame red hair was sparkling in the sun, expression fierce.

He stepped around her.

_Valid point. He's still a dick about it._

"He has an array of skulls set up like a freaking orchestra. It's creepy." He said instead struggling to remain on the tentative peace he and Clary had finally managed to find since their break up. It had only formed due to Jace's need to question Jonathan, otherwise he would probably still be avoiding her and she would still be sending him a combination of hurt and death glares.

Clary crinkled her nose for a moment. "Ok, so he has some strange tendencies." Her face shifted into concern. "He told me the Silent Brothers have been approved to use the Mortal Cup to begin replenishing the ranks of Shadowhunters. I'm not sure how I feel about the Cups useage on mundanes. It could kill a lot of people."

Jace brought his full focus towards her turning to face her directly. "Are you serious right now? You want to save your murderous brother but can't accept the loss of a few mundanes who will be given the _choice_ to drink from the Mortal Cup or not. Jonathan didn't give all those shadowhunters a choice to live or die! He just killed them!"

"You're right. How could the person that killed Jonathan possibly understand what he's going through right now." She said bitterly, tilting her head up angrily.

"I don't care what he's going through Clary. I don't." He was vaguely aware that he had invaded her personal space, crowding her back, and his fists were clenched tightly in anger.

"Do you still hate him for something he had no control over becoming?" Clary questioned quietly, dropping her gaze but stood her ground.

Jace could not bring himself to feel any sympathy for Jonathan anymore not after everything he had done willingly.

"Yes. Always. There is always a consequence and Jonathan made certain Alec paid that price." He spun and left her there in the sunlight.

O –O – O – O – O – O – O

Magnus stood on the other side of Alec's door weaving the wards Izzy had requested to contain Alec. He shifted them around easily to allow for Izzy, Maryse, and Jace to enter the room without endangering themselves. He could see the magic spark blue with his golden cat-eyes, watched it fade to white there, and solidify into a blue electric beam here.

"Maryse, this is pointless, needless suffering. His soul remnant is littered with cracks from Edom's magic. It's only because of whatever Jace did that he doesn't have it gift wrapped in demonic essence. Send him to the Brotherhood. What are you waiting for?" Magnus gave one last flourish with his hands completing the wards within wards.

"My boy is still in there. Brother Zachariah assured me we had everything we needed here to cure him." Maryse tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, but otherwise gave no outward appearance of a mother losing her child slowly.

_Jem wouldn't have lied about something this volatile._

Magnus had accepted Alexander death weeks ago, now it was just a matter of time. He still did not feel fully prepared for it and yet the Silent Brother continued to drag it out.

"Magnus? Can you tell if he would become a warlock or demon if this continues?" Maryse whispered quietly. She suddenly looked small, her body not as straight as she normally held it.

_Better the terrible truth than the beautiful lie._

"Demon. He doesn't have enough soul left to become a warlock." He informed her softly.

_A sane one anyway._

"I'll contact the Silent Brother to have Alec taken to the Silent City. I won't continue this false hope any longer." She said firmly, voice only slightly wobbling.

Three forms with blonde, black, and red arrived rather loudly down the hall. Arguing and laughing over the sanctity of living a life with Jonathan.

_Ugh. Clary's brother. The abomination that should have died._

There was a flicker of white brushing against his wards. Magnus cocked his head to the side, dropping his glamour to unveil his demonic golden cat-eyes.

_That's interesting._

Magnus turned with a flourish, snapping his fingers together to gain everyone's attention. "Jace, I am truly sorry for what you are about to endure in the coming days."

Magnus noted Maryse had taken her leave, not wishing to burden her daughter with the decision to send Alec to the Brotherhood or become a demon. Both decisions would result in the loss of his soul and humanity.

"Uh…what?" Clary was the first to recover.

Magnus noted Jace had gone a strange mixture of pale and red. Izzy stood hugging herself tightly, all laughter from a moment ago gone.

"Jace is his parabati. Two souls linked together. Do you recall what happens to parabati when there is only one left?" Magnus directed his question at Clary.

She tilted her head and shrugged.

Magnus felt a strong desire to turn her into a rodent. The redhead had always been too focused on herself and Jace to notice the pain of others until it was too late.

_Stupid, flawed Shadowhunter._

"It's supposed to be the most painful thing a person can endure." Jace whispered, he wasn't looking at the redhead or Magnus but at the door leading to Alec.

"Yeah, but Alec was fine-"

"You weren't there, you were off gallivanting through the woods hoping to stop a madman with just two people. Did you ever stop to think perhaps you required backup, perhaps a platoon?" Magnus snapped cutting her off. "Now if you would excuse me. I have a bottle of whiskey waiting for me at home so I can deal with problematic Shadowhunters." He glanced back at the wards one last time before heading out.

"Wait. Magnus." Clary jogged after him, thrusting out a crumpled envelope that appeared to have seen better days. "It's from Jonathan. He wanted to write to the person Alec cared about the most before all of this happened."

_What the hell does that monster have to say to me?_

Magnus didn't take it. Scanning it with his magic, he peered at the envelope like it would burst into flames, before plucking it out of Clary's hands.

_Curiosity killed the cat._

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Alec felt consciousness pulling him back to the surface slowly. He didn't want to go. It meant awareness of the constant pain and craving. No dose of angelic blood hidden away and no magic from the demon to soak his arm within. It had been burned from his veins, _again_. Jace had expelled the brief reprieve he had managed and since then he had been shifting between hazy wakefulness and delirious sleep. There were times when he thought he could hear the souls again. Their angry screams, the moans of lust, feel their envy for Heaven, feel their pride as they destroyed Edom.

_No, that was in the past. They changed._

There was a memory of blood and someone feeding him. Of pushing against a cage as it splintered and cracked.

There were a few hours of true sanity each day when Jace would visit and he knew he had begged more than once for Jace to stay. And the need sat buried in his mind.

There was a loud pulsating sound that was pulling him closer towards the surface.

There was a hand touching his arm, stroking slowly down to rub soothing circles over a wrist. It eased the need, pulling him closer to the surface. Felt a white light surrounding him gently.

_I don't want to wake up._

He felt something wet slide down his cheek as awareness came back. With it the dream faded and the icy razor edges returned forcing his eyes open with a snap.

He clenched them tightly against the brightness of the room immediately.

"Alec?" Jace voice sounded unsure.

He used the blanket to wipe the tears from his face before looking up at Jace. The first thing he saw was the runed and corded muscle of Jace's arm still holding onto Alec's right arm.

"Alec." Jace choked it out in a whisper.

"I'm not..." Alec trailing off unsure what to say, tried for a smile, but knew he failed.

Jace just continued to trace Alec's arm, sweeping his hand across his chest before resting it over the parabati rune. "Tell me what you need."

_Fuck._

Desire and need blew through any defense for control he had built, his mind still hazy from sleep. Sending his pulse pounding and his breath deepening.

"I need you to listen to me..." His voice came out to rough, mouth dry, and Alec had to swallow before he could continue.

Jace quirked an eyebrow. "Just tell me when to jump and how high. I'll listen." It came out quiet and amused.

Alec found himself staring at the slant of Jace's jaw and tracing his sculpted body with his dark eyes.

Jace suddenly stood up, balancing on the shifting bed easily, looking down at Alec with a mischievous grin. "Well, go on. Tell me."

Alec's brain was mush, all he wanted to do was reach out and drag his mouth across parts he knew Jace may or may not let him out of some twisted guilt.

"What?" Alec managed to say intelligently.

"Tell me to jump and how high." Jace stared down at him with a small forced grin, eyes darkening with some challenge.

"Ok…jump on the bed ten times and touch the ceiling." Alec rubbed at his parabati rune. Damn, he was confused, numb, and cold. He went to grab his stele or a blade to carve the angel rune, found it wasn't where he had placed it. He noted Jace had started the ridiculous jumping contest to try and touch the ceiling. He shook his head, trying to clear it. He didn't need a blade right now that was stupid. There was no demon and he was not going to kill Jace for his soul, no matter how tempting it was becoming.

_This isn't real._

He spotted the silver blade on his dresser. The angel rune would clear his mind a bit. He made it halfway across the room before a deafening crack sounded from the bed and Jace.

Alec spun around, crouching low, baring his teeth only to freeze at the sound now coming from Jace.

Jace now lay in the middle of Alec's bed, which appeared to have collapsed to the stresses of Jace jumping, and he was laughing at himself.

"Shit. Alec what do you do in here? I'm not fat. I'm blaming you, you broke it before me." Jace laughed.

Alec couldn't recall the last time Jace had laughed, truly laughed. Wasn't really sure when he had last laughed either. He felt a small smile tugging on his face at the absurdity of it.

_Definitely not real._

Good. He could give in to the lucid dream for longer than a moment again.

"Jace? You have any idea how much I need you?" Alec roughly questioned him, watching as Jace's gaze turned into a smolder directed at him. A small huff of laughter still escaping him at the ridiculousness of the bed breaking.

Alec was across the room and pinning Jace down capturing that laugh in a heated kiss.

_Fuck. He's real._

He felt a moan escape him regardless. Felt Jace already pulling his shirt over own head, before yanking at Alec's. Skin against skin, the heat that caused obliterated any thought from forming.

"The others already left for the night." Jace hissed into his mouth when Alec pulled back slightly. The comment just furthered Alec's confusion, the need beating against his skull.

He leaned down and bit Jace's neck before dropping to run open mouthed kisses along Jace's chest. Felt Jace running his hands down Alec's shoulders traveling down his spine.

Alec devoured the touches Jace was giving him seeking more. Not caring why Jace was responding again, just that the response had him ablaze.

Hands fisted in his dark hair pulling him back into another heated sliding kiss. Alec reached down to unbutton Jace's pants and helped him kick out of them barely breaking the kiss.

Alec moved lower, taking Jace in his mouth. Loving the moans and faint gasps Jace was making.

"Fuck. Not yet." Jace gasped out. Alec just tightened his mouth on him, watching as Jace arched his head back on a silent scream. Warmth spread across his tongue, forcing him to swallow.

Alec kicked out of the rest of his clothes. Running his hands up Jace's body, kissing his way back up and capturing that gasping mouth.

Jace flipped them over, pinning Alec down. Reaching up with one hand he looped the shirt around Alec's wrist before tying it to the bed. Alec growled at him for that move.

"Trust me. You have a trend lately. I'll let you up when I know you are you." Jace told him roughly voice still deep, but Alec could see him trembling slightly.

A rush of longing zapped through Alec. Even in his darkest imagination he hadn't fully admitted this fantasy with Jace.

Alec closed his eyes and let out a shuddering breath. Both trying to reign in control and let it go.

"Tell me you are ok with this." Jace demanded.

Alec opened his eyes and met Jace's blue and brown heterochromia eyes. "Tear me up." He bit back a groan as Jace started tracing patterns along his arm and chest with a tongue. "It's what I need." Alec admitted releasing a groan and arching into Jace's hands.

O – O – O – O – O – O

Jace had never been with a man, not in the way he intended right now. Could feel himself trembling with nerves. But hearing Alec admit what he needed brought a crystal clear clarity. The parabati rune seemed to be dumping arousal back into his system with every pulse. The previous orgasm having only taken the edge off.

Jace mouthed along Alec's neck, bit hickeys across his chest, moving his hands down Alec's Edom stained arm. Rolling Alec over slowly to repeat the process to his shoulders and back, following the responses of Alec's body to know where to kiss and touch next.

"_Jace…"_ Alec kept saying his name over and over. It fed his ego and his confidence level that this wasn't so different than what he was used to.

He rolled Alec onto his back, careful to not put much pressure on the arm that was still tied, just to feel him continue to move. Alec was undulating under him, hips thrusting for friction.

"Please…Jace…" Alec's voice was deep and throaty now.

Jace crawled down his body before dropping his mouth over Alec. Reveling in the cry that tore out of his parabati, feeling the parabati rune start to sync with something deep inside him.

Jace lifted off Alec to look up at him through his lashes, waited until Alec looked down at him. Brown met heterochromia blue and brown. "You are mine. I will never do this with anyone…"

"I know." Alec replied breathily, before his eyes dilated as Jace slid his mouth over him holding Alec's eyes.

Jace tried reaching for Alec through their bond. Felt a blazing heat meet him halfway, felt it coiling through his side and pulsing through his body in answer to every move Alec made.

Jace swallowed both to contain his nerves and distract Alec for a moment before pulling off and grabbing the oil he knew must still be in Alec's bedside drawer. Locating it and figuring out how to prepare Alec went better than he expected. Alec seemed incapable of more than sounds and his name the entire time.

When Jace pushed into Alec the first time he had no idea what to expect. But the heat and tightness and Alec's nearly feral growl of relief pushed him swiftly past any doubts.

_Stay with me, Alec._

Jace could barely keep it together when he felt Alec soul the last two times. Feeling the tightness around him and Alec's soul now beating through the bond, he wasn't going to last. Jace forced himself to still, dropping his head against Alec's shoulder, twining their hands together until he had some control back.

When he pulled back enough to look at Alec, Alec's eyes were impossibly dilated, breathe coming in sharp pants. Jace smiled down at him, rolling his hips forward, testing.

"Jace, I can't….I can't…I've tried…." Alec was begging him now.

Jace brought his mouth down in a slant to keep him quiet. He already understood the struggle Alec must still be going through, being incapable of finding your own way out.

"Hey, look at me. I have your soul. I've kept it protected from Edom's magic unknowingly all this time. You asked me to give it back." Jace rolled his hips against Alec. "You wanted me to tear you apart for it. I'll give it to you."

They found a rhythm quickly from there. Carnal pleasure wrapped around two souls as they moved together slowly becoming one. Jace knew his runes had lit up with angelic light but he didn't slow their rhythm. His mind was going foggy from the movement of Alec's tongue in his mouth that kept matching every thrust.

_I don't want this to stop._

Jace felt Alec's muscles starting to quiver nails digging into his back and dragging hard, trying to pull Jace deeper. He obliged easily, changing the slow rolling rhythm into a frantic pounding. He could feel heat spiraling up his spine, felt their souls fully connect. Fire burned through his veins and he felt Alec's orgasm hit him a second before his own did.

With the rush he felt a shift and the pulsing burn in his parabati rune vanished. He lay gasping against Alec, breath shattering out of him.

He felt Alec nip at his ear gently. "I knew you would find me." Alec whispered roughly into his ear breath coming just as hard.

Jace reached for him through their rune. Choked back a sob when he could finally feel the emotions from Alec's side of the bond. Buried his head in Alec's neck pulling him closer. He never wanted to leave this.

"You told me so many times what you needed and I was too stupid to read it for what it was." Fucking hell, there were tears in his eyes.

Alec pulled him back enough to see his face. Even with the tears he let him gently move him back.

There was a soothing warmth in that gaze that Jace had forgotten Alec used to hold for him every time he looked at him. The past months of darkness and the bonds pulsing burn had made him nearly forget it. "That's not true." Alec whispered brushing a kiss against his jaw.

O – O – O – O - O – O – O

There was warmth streaming in through his window caressing his body, a counterpoint to the warm heat spreading from Jace's body into his.

_It was real._

Alec turned his head to look at Jace's sleeping form. Sprawled across the bed, blonde hair matted on one side, hogging as much space as humanely possible, the lines of muscles naked for him to trace with his tongue again. He had lost track of how many times he and Jace had come together last night. After his soul had traveled back through the parabati bond seating itself back into his body, safely, they had been unable to keep their hands off each other. Renewing their bond through touch again and again.

_It worked._

He could still see Magnus's wards surrounding the room meant to contain him, but they no longer invoked the craving for magic to fill his veins. Instead the craving had been washed away with their bond and his soul, finally complete again, if not a little battered and cracked but inside him again. Like an ancient vase pieced together by glue. That glue would always remain unnamed between them, to name it would be to define their bond into something else.

He tossed a blanket over Jace, tucking it around him as he brushed a kiss on his forehead. Then he wandered over to the door, placing a hand on the wards, testing if they would let him through or not.

They did not.

With a mild sigh of irritation Alec crawled back under the covers next to Jace letting his warmth push him back into a doze.

He awoke sometime later to someone hissing Jace's name rather loudly outside his door.

_Izzy?_

She was hissing through the door as if she was trying to be discrete and failing. "Jace! Damnit you sleep like the dead. Wake up! The Silent Brother is here for Alec. Wake up!"

That got Alec moving, he dressed quickly. He glanced at the still sleeping blonde before reaching out and yanking the entire blanket off his form in one sharp tug, reveling naked runed skin and muscles.

Jace came awake with a strangled yelp. Blinking and glaring in Alec's direction. "Seriously Alec? You couldn't have found a better way to wake me up?" There was irritation and amusement in his voice as a slow devilish smirk started forming.

"Izzy's here. Get dressed." Alec informed him, throwing his shirt at him.

Jace caught the shirt before it hit him in the face.

"Jace! I know you can hear me! Supposed to be the best shadowhunter. Well, the best Shadowhunter is DEAF right now!" Izzy hollered from the door. Jace was dressed in record time and yanking open the door before dragging Izzy inside and slamming it shut.

"About time." She huffed, eyeing them both. "The silent brother is here to take Alec to the Silent City. Did it work?" She plainly asked.

Both Jace and Alec looked at her dumbfounded, exchanged glances, then remained pointedly silent.

"Oh come on! I was scarred for life last night because Mom put a camera in here to monitor Alec. I deleted them by the way, you're welcome. Now, did it work?" She stated it all so demandingly matter-of-fact that both Alec and Jace still didn't respond immediately.

"Yes." Alec finally answered, he took a step just to brush his arm against Jace's.

Izzy's face went from business like and slowly morphed into a devilish smirk. "Wow, Jace is never going to let you live it down that his dick fixed you." She directed at Alec.

Alec felt his face flame bright red and he turned away from her. "It was the parabati bond." He muttered under his breath.

The door swung open again. Maryse and a Silent Brother walked through the door unannounced. Maryse stopped upon seeing all three of them there. Alec just stared at the Silent Brother.

_Blue hair? And no stitches._

"Well, I won't ask why you are all here, but it makes this easier. Isabelle, your brother is becoming a demon. Jace, I'm sorry. I made the decision to send Alec to the Brotherhood last night. I spoke to Brother Zachariah and he informed me the bond would dissolve naturally and would not cause as much pain as death." Maryse's voice trembled, but her back remained straight.

"No! He's…He's better!" Jace floundered waving an arm at Alec. Alec could see he was trying to find an explanation that wouldn't land them in exile or being forcibly separated.

"He's right." Alec informed them. Although, he had no idea how to prove this.

"_Alexander Gideon Lightwood allow me to check for the infection in your soul." _Brother Zachariah smoothly approached Alec, strange soft smile and flowing grey robes.

_No. No one touches the bond right now._

Alec found himself withdrawing but an arm came around his back hindering his retreat. His dark brown gaze jolted towards Jace in confusion.

"You can trust him." Jace told him, eyes showing an earnest trust towards this particular Silent Brother that had Alec halting. Jace didn't trust anyone linked to the Clave.

The Silent Brother approached them, reaching out a hand towards Alec's side. He could see the angelic magic spark under the skin. It touched his side, he jolted expecting pain. None came. The magic just brushed the surface of the rune as if tasting how it worked. The Silent Brother withdrew his hand.

"_I would say I am disappointed not to be bringing you into the ranks of the Brotherhood today, but I'm not."_ The Silent Brother informed Alec with a small smile.

_The anvil is going to drop._

Alec tensed waiting for the Silent Brother to declare the bond corrupt, to announce their immediate deruning, or exile. None of it arrived.

Instead the Silent Brother walked to Maryse. _"Your son has one of the strongest parabati bonds I have seen. Your miracle arrived, your son's soul is present. I'll send you the favor later." _His voice echoed through their minds.

Izzy burst into happy laughter leaping at her brother to wrap him in a hug. Maryse looked stunned, like she had fully accepted the death of her eldest and had not processed that he was not actually going to die. Finally, she moved over to Alec and Izzy giving them both hugs.

"I don't understand. How?" Maryse questioned them all.

"Jace has special angel blood, Alec took out all of Edom. I don't think losing half your soul was going to stop him from figuring out how to return to us." Izzy supplied.

O – O – O – O – O – O

The favor the Silent Brother had mentioned turned out to be Jonathan Morgenstern.

Jace was in the Ops Center when the tall, redhead arrived, Maryse having just announced the news to himself, Alec, and Izzy. Apparently, Clary had known he was arriving days ago. Jace and Izzy had stood stunned and silent while Alec and Clary both looked like a freaking holiday had just landed in their laps. Jace loathed those looks, this was a mass murdering psycho, in league with Lilith.

A sick feeling of cold and dread was working its way up Jace's throat as he stared at the man that had made his life hell for weeks. Felt a jealous spike when Alec easily walked over to the red-haired man, touching their foreheads together and sliding them to the side in a gesture reminisant of a faerie or demon greeting. It made his stomach turn over.

"Still a sane shadowhunter then?" Alec asked Jonathan, hands still clasped together. Jace hated it.

"Such a pure shadowhunter." Jonathan's mouth quirked up in a wry grin.

"Still alive." Alec smirked at Jonathan and Jace saw some understanding pass between the two.

"Well, some of us can't just go around exploding things." Jonathan's strange cultured voice flowed easily, mouth still holding that blasé amusement.

"I missed you too." Alec countered.

Jonathan quirked an eyebrow up. "Lovely. Shall I carve another rune into your skin for you?"

"That is beyond creepy to watch. You sure you fixed him?" Izzy leaned over to Jace and whispered in his ear.

_No shit. It's disgusting._

All Jace could get out was a hum of agreement, stomach twisting sharply.

Alec had barely left his side the past two days and they had spent the nights talking about anything but Edom, but the passion Alec had shown was never mentioned nor did Jace ever move to recreate that addicting heat. Seeing his dark haired parabati so at ease with the ex-demon was unsettling, it reminded him of the gap that had formed in their relationship since Clary had tumbled in and they were still trying to recover from.

"Isn't this great. Now Jonathan can finally start to repair some of the damage he did." Clary sounded far too excited and ecstatic about that idea.

Jace wanted nothing to do with the man. Couldn't figure out how Clary still wanted something to do with him after the demonic twinning rune. All he could hear was that voice.

"_You will return to find your friends dead…"_

He clenched his hand into a fist, forcing it open, then moving each finger. They moved. He released a breath.

Jonathan had approached the Ops Center table now and held out a hand towards Jace and Izzy. "Shall we try this again? I'm Jonathan Morgenstern." His volunteered the peace treaty like it was nothing.

Jace held his arms crossed in front of his chest, feet apart, every part of him screaming dominant. Izzy did not look impressed with the hand offered either and mimicked Jace's stance.

"Don't worry. They'll come around. You won me over with a bit of water." Alec joked as Jonathan dropped his extended hand.

_The fuck? Water?_

Jace really wanted to know what the hell that meant. Alec still hadn't been very forth coming about Edom and its effects even with his soul back.

"Well, now that Jonathan is here. I am sending you on mission to examine that chrysalis. Magnus said it was from Edom, I want Jonathan to prove to us he can be useful as we have hit a dead on it these past weeks." Maryse informed them. She and Lydia had split their duties into Downworlder issues under Lydia's command and demons under Maryse's.

Jace watched as Alec and Jonathan exchanged quick glances, despised the twisted feeling that was spinning through his gut.

_He knows something._

The thought twisted his gut tighter as he recalled the conversation with Jonathan, it couldn't possibly be the same. There was too much blood.

"Will the warlock be attending?" Jonathan questioned Maryse easily.

Maryse's gaze drew a sharp bead on Jonathan, she clearly did not trust him and had only approved of his presence due to the Silent Brother forcing her hand. "No, Magnus will not be called in unless we need him for further firepower."

"Pity. This shall be entertaining." He clapped his hands together appearing excited, before he seemed to realize that it might be taken the wrong way and dropped his hands.

Jace took a few steps towards Alec just so they could touch shoulders as he passed by. "Don't get your hopes up." He called back to Jonathan.

O – O – O – O – O – O

The walk to the chrysalis location visually was beautiful as they walked through the city. A sunny sky, light clouds, a cloud passed overhead casting the group in shadow for a moment, before they broke back out into sunlight. Jonathan unfortunately did not burst into flames as Jace hoped.

"That's the stupidest thing to use for eye-spy. Seriously, you have to do better." Clary argued back to her brother.

Jace glanced towards the two red haired siblings behind him. It was surreal watching the ex-demon laugh and joke, it was almost like he was Sebastian again. Only now Jace knew what the guy was capable of and no amount of rehabilitation was going to change his mind on that.

"I did win, sister. It wasn't my fault the only thing you can think of for gold is Jace." At his name the red head glanced towards Jace.

_Stupid charisma._

"Stupid button." Jace could hear Clary loudly mutter.

"I spy something that is blue." Izzy called from where she was walking beside Alec.

_Traitor._

Jace was not participating in this mundane game that Clary had introduced them to and insisted on teaching to Jonathan. Apparently, as some sibling bonding ritual. The fact that Alec of all people was going along with it just served to irritate him further. Alec was mission oriented, not _playful._

Still it was nice to see Alec smiling again rather than the whiplashing mood swings and violence. He quashed the urge to drop back beside Alec just to run a hand down his arm.

"Izzy, the sky is blue." Alec commented back to her, checking his bow again as they walked.

"Nope. Guess again." Izzy smirked confidant that she could stump them all as Jonathan had.

"The car we passed." Clary said.

Silence held as they walked and the others thought about blue things they had passed.

"Every mundane wears bluejeans. Those are blue." Jace finally commented just because he hated the silence right now.

"Wrong. Give up?" Jace had glanced at her in surprise because he thought for certain it was the only other blue thing they had passed recently which is why he caught her gaze shoot from Alec to Jace and back again.

Jace knew that look. He smirked at himself. "Izzy. Is it my eyes?" Jace drawled.

Izzy went from confidant to an amused irritation. "Seriously, how did you even figure that one out?"

Jace shrugged turning back to continue walking forward more smoothly. "I'm just that good."

"Wait. I've got one. I spy something that looks black." Jonathan kept his gaze forward.

"Well that is going to be me. I'm the sexiest one in black." Izzy flipped her hair once. Jace's mouth fell open before he snapped it shut, she wasn't seriously flirting with this red haired male. No, he knew Izzy better than that. She had Simon and was probably just doing it to gain trust. A quick glance back at the female redhead informed him she actually looked proud that her brother was starting to break the ice with the others.

"Stop!" Alec held up a hand signaling them all to pause. "No more games. We're too close to the chrysalis now and I don't want to meet any of the demons Jace and Izzy discovered the last time they were here."

_Guess he was paying attention._

"I was there too." Clary muttered in annoyance her lips thinning into a frown.

Alec ignored her moving forward until his shoulder pressed against Jace's. "On your lead."

Jace flexed his hand a couple times, it still responded to his command. Before focusing on keeping his back to Jonathan and the others as he scouted ahead, seraph blade clenched tightly in his hand.

The blood and bodies that had surrounded the chrysalis and permeated the air with the stench of rot were mostly gone when they reached the enormous red chrysalis. Maryse had informed them that while other teams had been able to do minor cleanup in other rooms the chrysalis itself had remained untouched by anything they threw at it. Instead the broken chrysalis had proceeded to draw the blood from the floor and walls into itself even though there was nothing inside.

"I think it might be creepier this way." Clary commented shining her witchlight at the red glowing crystal.

Jace had to agree with her. Especially, given what he now suspected that thing might have actually been for. Now just how to destroy it.

_Seriously, why didn't they have Magnus here for this._

Jonathan strolled towards it, dipping a finger inside and examining the sticky substance on his finger.

"Shadowhunter." Alec informed him as he walked by, shifting his bow to his back and running a hand along the casing, fingers testing the finer cracks.

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "I'm not senseless."

"Well, be useful then. What is it?" Jace ordered from his spot within the room, eyes scanning the room for any of the demonic beasts that had attacked them the last time they were here.

_There's no more blood._

Jonathan looked over at him as if he were dense. Jace felt his irritation rise. "This is a chrysalis, used to siphon power and contain magic through a conduit to ensure that what lays inside lives through the transformation." Jonathan informed them.

Jonathan glanced over at Alec who was still tracing the cracks on the chrysalis, adding marks on its surface with his seraph blade at certain spots. The marks were barely visible from the sharp cut of the white blade.

"Based on the thickness it held a greater demon or something interesting. Whatever broke out had to be broken out early." Jonathan indicated the shards along the ground that matched the chrysalis casing. "Also it's still alive." Jonathan wiped his hand on his pants leg, bringing up his own seraph blade and poking at one of the cracks casually.

He said something to Alec but it was too low for Jace to catch it from his side of the room.

"Great. How do we deactivate it? It's a bomb of dark magic waiting to go off right now." Izzy stated from her side of the room she was scouting, checking for demonic symbols or anything hidden away.

"My guess. Blast it with magic." Jonathan simply told them, head tilted to the side as he tracked Alec as he continued to make infinitesimal marks along the casing with his blade.

"Yeah. It ate the last warlock that tried to do that." Izzy flatly informed him.

_Guess that explains the absent Magnus._

"Sunlight rune?" Clary questioned, writing it on her palm before anyone could respond. Alec reached out, grabbing her wrist and directed her hand at the ground as the rune went off. Blasting sunlight into the ground and missing the chrysalis entirely.

"What the hell, Alec! It was going work!" The red head shouted indignantly yanking her arm in an attempt to get him to release her.

"You don't know that for sure. For all you know you would have just been its next victim. I'm not feeding it angel blood." Alec informed her flatly, before bringing his dark head up, muscles suddenly bunching. Jace could see Clary beginning to frown when an inhumane screech pierced the air, followed by baying and howling of the demons that had just been alerted to their presence. "Nice job, Fray. Next time don't yell." Alec released her wrist drawing his bow out and notching an arrow.

Whatever snide retort Clary was about to throw at Alec was bitten off as a large scorpion like demon skittered through the door they had entered the room from.

Izzy's whip whistled through the air cleanly wrapping around the demons venomous tail as she dragged its body towards her and dispatched it with a seraph blade through its body.

Jace had already moved to the door as Izzy dragged her prey in. He sliced through two white faced demons as they careened into the room on large batlike wings, but was forced back when he saw the incoming tide. The hallway was filled with demons crawling along the ceiling and hallways.

_Shiit. Where did they all come from?_

"Alec! Izzy! Better make another exit fast!" Jace yelled back to them. Ducking one demon's deadly claws and impaling another.

Twelve more demons landed within the room forcing Jace to retreat with Izzy, both backing behind Clary who used her sunlight rune to blast a brilliant beam of white-yellow light through them quickly. The demons were quickly replaced crawling over the dead and leaping towards them shrieking.

Jace spun with his blade out searching the room for an exit, anything that could get them into a decent defensible position.

_Damnit._

He couldn't see one, unless they took the path straight down which looked to be filling up with demons crawling up from below as well. His parabati rune gave a warning pulse, Alec's emotions coming through were tortured and heated.

Jace managed to chance a glance towards where arrows should have been streaming from. Alec stood stock still facing Jonathan who was telling him something that Jace couldn't make out over the cacophony of demon howls.

Jace threw himself into a roll coming up besides the two yelling a curse for them join the battle. He spun to slice through another demon with his blade.

Jonathan was ignoring the demons, staring intently and clutching at Alec's right arm, hissing desperately. "You held everything in your grasp. Berinth will destroy this realm. You did it. You burned with it. Everything those souls felt every hateful envious thought. Every desire, every greedy need. You took it and you used it. Now reach out and take it, be the destroyer one last time." Jonathan's voice had grown stronger, more forceful leaning forward manically as he spoke.

That little speech made his blood run cold.

_Don't listen to him._

He knew the bond could never send thoughts, but right now he really wished it would. He sent his desperation for Alec not to do whatever Jonathan was asking through the bond.

A demon larger than the rest entered the room wearing all red and had what might have been a melted gold crown on its head. "Jonathan. What an unpleasant surprise to see you here with your new angel." The demon smiled showing all its pointed razor sharp teeth, it spoke in perfect cultured English.

Jace dropped into a defensive crouch with his seraph blade forward, pulling out a dagger to hold in his other hand.

"Use it!" Jonathan yelled.

Jace froze unable to make the required jump attack at the demon instead swinging his gaze towards Alec.

Alec had his right hand against the chrysalis and Jace could see the black Edom stained veins turning brilliant red and orange rapidly. Red light traveled up Alec's neck and across part of his face into his eye which sparked red. He saw Izzy had reached for her brother but was being held back by Jonathan.

_No…_

Alec stood with a hand splayed against the red chrysalis, eyes closing and dark head tilted back.

The gold crowned demon face twisted and it screamed in rage, every demon in the room changing tactics to charge towards Alec.

His parabati rune was burning again. Alec looked towards Jace rather than the demons meeting his eyes with a small smile.

_Don't do this._

The chrysalis warped and melted around Alec's hand oozing over his arm before the entire thing exploded. The demons vaporized as the magic washed over them, the largest demon threw a bolt of yellow magic at all of them, red cascaded over it before it hit.

Clary shouted something about the building collapsing, but Jace couldn't tear his gaze from Alec engulfed in that red magic. And then he understood the small smile.

"_Come find me."_

Activating his parabati rune he pushed at the pulsing heat from his own side and walked slowly through the maelstrom of magic surrounding Alec. None of it harmed him, he could see debris falling around them but his focus remained on his parabati. When he reached Alec, he ran his hand over the parabati rune on Alec's side, golden light spilling from it. The magic imploded into Alec for a moment, before exploding through the ceiling blasting a hole through to the roof.

Everything went dark.

Darkness greeted Jace when he regained consciousness.

He went to sit up. He couldn't. There was a dark weight laying across his chest. A spike of fear hit his bloodstream.

_You're fine._

He could barely move him arms and legs. A cold icy feeling started to sweep through his body.

_No. No, this was not happening._

He was trapped under a building and couldn't move. He clenched his fist, it moved. It didn't abate the panic that was building. He moved his fingers in the usual ritual to remain calm. The dread kept building.

_Come on stay calm. What had Simon said ages ago about senses?_

He wished he had not just written off what the vampire had said. All he could recall was something about sight and touch. Well, sight was fucking darkness.

_It's the same._

Touch was caged in by rocks and debris.

_The cage again. Clary was dead beside him._

"_I don't love you. Not anymore."_

"_Take that dagger and stab it through her heart."_

"_You will return to find your friends dead."_

"_You will beg for death."_

"_..loss of his parabati." _

His parabati rune felt warm informing him that somewhere Alec was attempting to reach him. He couldn't see Alec though just darkness and black greeted him each time he turned his head. The panic turned from harsh breaths to screaming to crying. Sobbing, pleading. A weight was lifted off of him.

Bright light.

"I found one! Jace. Jace, hey, hey I've got you." Cold hands slid under him pulling him into the light. Simon stood among the rubble of what used to be the building. Jace felt himself sway dangerously, Simon kept a hand on him guiding him through the rubble. Enormous chunks of rubble floated suspended in the air before being hurtled to the side with blue sparkling magic.

_Simon. Magnus._

His mind noted that Magnus had to be here pulling the rubble off of them. His parabati rune hurt. Everything hurt, everything felt numb too.

"Ok. Ok, Sit. Shit, I don't have any water. Just, just stay there and _don't_ move. I can smell the others. I'll be right back." Simon reassured him before vanishing from his line of sight.

Jace sat there numbly. His mind still trying to reel back from the edge.

Red hair and a feminine form was the next to be guided out of the rubble. Simon said something about angel blood being easier to smell and was gone again.

Jace looked at Clary trying to figure out if she was real or not. She was bruised and had a scrape over one cheek. Her arms filled with tiny cuts and scrapes from the demons and the rubble. Her eyes were impossibly wide.

He pulled her into a hug choking back a sob. "Clary. I'm sorry."

She immediately returned the hug, tightening her embrace. "It's ok. I'm sorry too."

"Are you all this fluffy after a mission?" Jonathan's voice drawled from the rubble as he dusted himself off holding one arm a little awkwardly, it was clearly broken, but he barely acknowledged it. Simon was helping Izzy out, she appeared to have a leg broken from the rubble.

Jace ignored Jonathan despite the cold feeling still roiling around inside him. Grabbing Izzy's hand to help give her the needed boost from Simon's arms to make it over the last line of rubble. Clary was drawing an Iratze on her before she fully touched down.

"Parabati rune still intact?" Jonathan nonchalantly questioned Jace as he started drawing his own Iratze rune. Jace could feel the parabati rune humming softly under his skin, it was there pulsing softly with an unknown emotion.

Clary was looking at Jace expectantly.

"Yeah. It's there." He offered more for Izzy and Clary's benefit than Jonathan, still feeling numb.

"Good. Bastard didn't deserve to die. Rather like the idiot." Jonathan conceded, rolling his shoulder and arm around as the rune took effect.

Simon arrived with a battered and bruised Alec over the rim of the rubble. Simon dragged Alec along under the arm, practically picking the taller shadowhunter up when he slipped.

The numbness faded at the sight of his parabati, spreading into a warmth Jace was beginning to recognize as a need to be close to each other.

Jace found himself jogging over to them, clutching Alec in a tight hug, running one hand down Alec's right arm checking the extent of the injuries. "Don't ever do that to me again. I thought you left me." Jace whispered hoarsely. The arm appeared surprisingly normal, the black veins still remained but there was no charcoaled flesh or black skin he had been expecting.

Alec leaned his head onto Jace's shoulder. "It was easy this time."

Jace pulled back to arm's length, searching Alec's face, trying to understand. "Easy? You call that easy." He wasn't sure if he sounded indignant or relieved.

"It worked. It's gone." Alec ventured.

"Yes. Some of us would love to know how that occurred." Magnus stood watching them with a perturbed look on his face. "Well, I'm not inviting _that _over." He pointed at Jonathan. "But the rest of you can come to the loft."

"Magnus, Jonathan comes with us." Alec firmly ordered, lifting his head from Jace but not moving away.

Magnus searched Alec for a long moment before his gaze transformed into surprise. "I see. Always preferred the demonic. He can tag along then, but don't blame me if he returns home with you as a lab rat."

"See. I told you it would be entertaining." Jonathan grinned sardonically. "Oh and Magnus. I do believe Berinth can be marked off your list of things to worry about."

The warlock shot Jonathan a look of disbelief.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Magnus's loft appeared the same as when Jace had last seen it. Dark rich colors, ornate artwork, and expensive taste oozed off every surface. Magnus had shifted around several dark couches so they could all remain laying down or seated while Magnus worked his healing magic over them.

Alec had pressed a leg against Jace's when he sat down next to him. Jace didn't pull away and instead pulled Alec's right arm into his lap so he could trace the lines he saw that red magic spiral through.

"You ok?" It was Simon handing Jace a glass of orange juice.

_I don't know._

He still felt numb like a part of him was still stuck in a loop with the Owl. And he kept glancing towards Clary to make sure she didn't have a seraph blade sticking out of her.

Jace lifted his gaze towards Simon. Usually the two were at odds with each other but still he held respect for the vampire. And well he supposed the vampire was closer now that he had been dating Izzy. "Yeah. I'm alright." He informed the vampire taking the offered glass.

Simon handed the other glass in his hands towards Alec. Alec just shook his head at the offered glass looking queasy.

Jace dropped his hand to the parabati rune on Alec stroking once.

Alec took the offered glass of juice from the geeky vampire, but didn't attempt to drink it.

"Alexander," Magnus strode towards the two but stopped several feet short, head cocked to the side inspecting them. "I won't ask which handsome shadowhunter managed to bring your soul safely back into your body. But I am eternally grateful you are healed."

Alexander blinked up at Magnus, tilting his head to the left not quite meeting his gaze. After a pause he looked directly at Magnus "Magnus, I can't pick up where we left off. Even with my soul stitched together, there's a vital piece that needs…that has changed."

Jace felt something warm spread through his chest at the words, hid the smile behind his glass of orange juice. Magnus zeroed in on Jace regardless, expression morphing from controlled to mild surprise.

_Damn hundreds of years of social practice._

"Mind if I speak to Alexander alone." Magnus requested, but Jace could still hear a possessive note. It had only been a few months ago they were trying to defend Alicante from the demon hordes. That Alec had every intention of marrying the warlock. Unease and something possessive coiled inside him as Jace realized that now that Alec had his soul back Jace wasn't sure where Alec stood with the warlock anymore. It's not like he and Alec had spoken about what had occurred.

Alec slid his hand down Jace's back. "I'll be right back."

Jace hummed noncommittally because throwing a fit about Alec leaving to talk to essentially a possible ex seemed too childish and selfish even for him. He watched the two wander over to the outside balcony before consciously bringing up other things to think about.

Instead Jace chose to focus on battling the issue he could control. Clary and the fact she was alive. Alive and sitting happily next to the murderous brother.

_Seriously, what do you see in him?_

Taking a deep breath to control his still frayed nerves Jace wandered over to the two red heads. Better to control the situation than let his mind start wandering again. "Alright start talking Jonathan. One, how did you know that demon's name? Two, how did you know Alec could do…that?"

_Ok, not quite the greeting he was aiming for._

Jonathan turned away from Clary to look Jace over. Before lifting one middle finger to Jace. "One, I met that particular demon while I was raised by Lilith." He lifted his index finger. "Two, I built that chrysalis for him after our exit from Edom. He was rather unstable."

"Be nice." Clary admonished her brother before questioning. "So is Alec a warlock now?"

"Nope. Granted he could have tried doing so without dropping a building over our heads. Personally, I'm ecstatic to finally be rid of both him and that chrysalis." He leaned back against the black ornate chair then inclined his head towards Jace. "They were ticking time bombs, you just clipped a few wires. Thank you for that by the way."

Wariness and unease crept through Jace and he shifted away from Jonathan.

Izzy snapped her phone shut from where she had been talking to her mom on another chair. "Well, you can thank Mom for sending Magnus and Simon after us. Apparently, we were all under that rubble for a couple hours. When none of us checked in she sent them after us."

The fact Maryse had not sent a contingent of Shadowhunters and instead went to Magnus Bane and a lone vampire said much about what she had expected them to find.

"So..um…what's it like not being a demon anymore?" Simon's question directed at Jonathan stilled the four in the room.

Jace watched as something akin to vulnerability shifted across Jonathan's face before settling back into his usual indifference. "It's different." He informed Simon before falling silent and saying nothing more on the matter.

_Because that cleared that right up._

"Cool. Think Alec could take out another hellish realm and cure me of being a vampire?" Simon joked flopping down on the couch where Alec had just vacated.

"Alec isn't going anywhere near any hellish realm. Ever." Jace snarled bypassing the attempt at a joke entirely.

Simon looked taken aback before brushing it off with a grin. "Well, I mean the shadow world is all kinds of fucked up. You've got evil fairies and ex-demons. And well you said before there are tons of hellish realms. Why aren't there any extra heaven realms? We could always try for that instead. Find a nice fluffy heaven realm and throw me in there. Who knows maybe I'll come out all glowy and stuff."

Jace stared at Simon unsure if the vampire had lost it or if he was trying for a really bad joke to ease the tension.

"Simon are you going to have sparkles when you come falling back to Earth?" Clary questioned wryly.

Simon's forced grin turned into a real smile at that. "I'm not Edward Cullen. I would come back with awesome white wings and glowing eyes and shoot lasers out of my hands."

"Lasers?" Jonathan sounded vaguely confused by that term which sent Clary laughing.

"Plus he would be incredibly sexy." Informed Izzy as she hobbled over to them testing out her leg gingerly, two books tucked under an arm.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Magnus stood facing out to the city on the balcony. Lights of other buildings flickering in the distance and the sounds of the street remained muted due to the warlocks wards. Alec let his gaze study the warlock, same dark expensive suit, rings on his fingers, some new red dye in his hair today. Alec shifted uncomfortably in the silence. Alec knew they needed to talk about the fact he had not contacted Magnus once since obtaining his soul back. Talk about why he could never be with the warlock again.

"It was Jace wasn't it?" Magnus said quietly into the air.

Alec's heart stopped. _Yes. _"What?"

Magnus turned to face him, metal on his chest and hands glinting in the low light. "Alexander, I have not been born yesterday. I know when someone is avoiding me. I also know when things shift and change between people. It might be subtle but it is always there."

Looking at Magnus now made him remember the late night conversations, the ridiculous dates, and the heat of skin on skin and the feel of waking beside the warlock.

Alec closed his eyes against the memories he had of Magnus, even with his soul back he couldn't let go of Jace now that he had tasted him to pick up where he had left off with Magnus. "It's complicated." He whispered.

Magnus gave him a sad smile. "Nothing complicated about it. Alexander, I gave back the engagement ring before you even left that cell months ago." He held up a hand when Alec went to protest. "I choose to give it back. You sold your soul to release me and all those poor unfortunate souls. Your love for me destroyed an entire realm and I don't think I'll ever match that. But when I saw you in that cell, I could not see my Alexander's soul looking back at me. I knew I had lost you even then."

"Magnus, I'm sorry." Alec whispered forcing himself to maintain eye contact.

"Don't be. I'm glad you are whole again. I am not demanding anything of you. He holds a piece of you that I could never touch." The warlock's voice sounded to understanding.

Alec clenched his hands tight behind his back because he had no idea how to approach this but needed to try. Magnus deserved that much. "Magnus I went to Edom to get you out. I succeeded and will never regret that nor will I regret where that decision lead me."

Magnus summoned two drinks for them, something pale colored Alec recalled from one of their dates that he had enjoyed. Magnus handed one to Alec and he took it reflexively. "Someone once told me. 'Truth is not what you want it to be; it is what it is, and you must bend to its power or live a lie.' You held onto lies much of your life Alexander and you always tried to be better than them." Magnus reached out to touch Alec's Edom stained arm. "This has given you lies, built upon power and desperation. Do you really believe this new feeling will last?"

Alec turned his head away from Magnus, he could vaguely recall what it felt like to love this man but it all felt so pale in comparison to the feelings he felt burning softly in his parabati bond. "You once told me there is no honor in living a lie and that I should start living for myself. You taught me that, you showed me that. And what happened to bring me back… I can't leave him."

Magnus put a finger under Alec's chin applying pressure lightly until Alec was looking directly into the warlock's eyes. "Does he love you? Can he love you how you want?"

_We've never said it._

It sent a lance of pain through his chest. Because even after everything between he and Jace, he was still too much of a coward to say it out loud. The old fear of years of hiding and repressing his feelings choking him every time the urge rose up.

There was laughter coming through the door from the others.

"I don't think I could have found my way back if he didn't." Alec said vehemently, jerking his head out of Magnus's touch.

Magnus set his drink on the table tossing a blue orb of magic in the air to start spiraling around him. An old calming meditative tactic Alec recognized.

"Are you going to be ok?" He asked the warlock.

Magnus's brow furrowed and he turned away. "I came to terms with your loss a long time ago. But it feels like I am losing you all over again today. I'll be ok, but I think you should go." Magnus gave a scoff. "The loft is big enough for everyone to avoid each other for one day at least, excluding an awkward dinner."

Alec watched him sway and undulate his arms and hands back and forth, the blue orb following and crackling slightly. Then he turned and headed back inside.

O – O –O – O – O – O – O

Jace felt amusement bubbling up inside him regardless of the fact Jonathan sat across the room from him. Maybe it was the relief of being free of that building.

Simon was standing on one of Magnus's ridiculously expensive couches holding two books and aiming them at Clary making strange "pew pew" noises. She was jumping from couch to couch screaming at Simon something about strawtroopers….maybe stormtroopers and their inability to hit a thing.

But that wasn't what had him nearly laughing. No, it was the sudden appearance of bells on Jonathan's wrists, ankles, and neck. Magnus was still outside on the balcony talking to Alec but Jace had no doubt the poof of blue magic that had coalesced into shiny bells was from Magnus. They tinkled rather loudly every time the red-haired man moved.

_I could hug that warlock._

Jonathan was currently tugging at one wrist trying to extract the offensive, tinkling object from his arm with a growl. That sent Jace over, he burst out laughing at the clear annoyance and growing rage on the ex-demons face. He heard Izzy laughing as well from where she sat with one of Magnus's books she had swiped off the shelf.

Jonathan stopped moving to slowly glare at the two of them. "Can one of you get your attack dog to get these off me?" He snarled at them.

_Oh. This is going to be great._

Jace crossed his arms and leaned back as Clary launched herself past him screaming about jedi powers. "Nope. I think Magnus got it perfect. The bells are a great accessory, makes it hard to sneak up on anyone. Kind of like a lumbering sprite."

Jonathan's eye twitched. Jace smirked.

"And what does that make you? A deaf warrior? This lumbering sprite beat you up more times than I can count." Jonathan tugged on the bell at his neck, it tinkled loudly refusing to come loose.

_Best warrior in New York._

Jace chuckled, surprised at the banter before reminding himself that Jonathan used to be charismatic before. "Still killed you." He said coldly to even the playing field back to his hatred.

Jonathan launched himself off the sofa at Jace, bells tinkling loudly, only to be brought up short by a dark form getting between them. Grappling Jonathan around the waist and throwing him to the ground. "Don't." Alec warned him. The sound of the bells faded.

"Your parabati started it." Jonathan hissed petulantly. Alec just raised one eyebrow at him before flicking one of the bells sending off the loud chiming noise again. Jace snorted back a laugh.

"Magnus!" Clary wailed. "Take those off Jonathan! He looks like a freaking cat!"

"The great lumbering cat sprite." Izzy tried to keep a straight face as she said it but failed miserably.

Magnus walked in from the open balcony fixing his jacket he was sliding on. "No. I don't trust it. It keeps the bells."

Jace and Izzy exchanged gleeful looks. Clary stood aghast staring at Magnus like she couldn't believe he wouldn't jump at her newest order.

"Magnus. Jonathan has a name. Use it." Alec flatly ordered the warlock rising from where he had knelt over Jonathan.

Jace watched as Magnus's entire body tensed, eyes flashing from brown to gold. "Alexander, you asked for my assistance. You have it. Stay here for 24 hrs, then remove _it_ from my home before I do something drastic."

_Guess that conversation did not go the way Magnus planned._

"Um…could we order food or at least send Simon out to get some?" Clary asked, having accepted her brother was going to be stuck with cat bells for the duration of their stay. Jace smiled again at the thought.

_Demonic lumbering cat sprite._

Magnus surveyed the catastrophe that was his living room before sighing. Sofas had been moved around during Simon and Clary's impromptu recreation of some movie scene. Izzy had a stack of books she had pilfered from the shelves without managing to set off any alarms or wards. "Fine. Come up to the roof I'll set something up. I know Simon's diet. What does it eat?" He cocked his head watching Alec and Jonathan, who had now sat up and was still impatiently pulling at the bell on his neck like it was strangling him.

_I hope it does._

"_Jonathan,_ eats the same food as the rest of us." Alec stated flatly.

"Could just give him the emotions of the damned. Should shut him up for a bit." Izzy gleefully informed her brother, he shot her a dark warning look. Izzy rolled her eyes at her brother before crossing her arms.

Jace opened his mouth to join Izzy in the destruction of Jonathan only to snap it shut when Alec's dark gaze swung to glare at him.

"All of you go get cleaned up. Changes of clothes are kept in the hallway to the right of the front door. Staircase to the upper floor is through there." Alec pointed towards one of the side doors along the wall.

It made Jace realize just how familiar Alec was with this particular loft. Hell, Alec had spent nearly a month here every night. Jace swallowed back that uncomfortable feeling.

"Great. Alec come on." Jace didn't wait for a response from his dark haired parabati, grabbing his wrist and hauling him over to the closet where Alec had pointed out the spare clothes. Once he selected some that appeared like they should fit and were surprisingly black, he shoved them in Alec's arms. He tossed some towards Izzy and Clary, grabbed his own, before dragging Alec towards one of the spare rooms to get changed.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Jace dropped his clothes, yanking the leather sleeve of Alec's jacket up enough to expose the Edom stained arm hissing lowly. "What was that?" He demanded, pressing a hand against the dark marks.

_The red inferno of magic travelling up the arm…_

Alec twisted his arm face closing off, Jace tightened his hold not letting go. "Come on Alec. You just used magic and everyone wants to tiptoe around the fact you just dropped a building on us."

Silence.

"I didn't mean too." Alec eventually said. "The chrysalis recognized me. It was…safe." He closed his eyes so Jace's couldn't read anything in them.

_Safe? What part of demonic chrysalis is safe?_

Jace found himself weakly snorting at Alec's response. "I thought you were…damnit Alec…I just got you back. Actually back not the weird person you were before."

Alec's gaze snapped back onto Jace's in a heated clash. "Did you like the other me? Out of control and mad?" There was real anger in his eyes now along with something darker.

Jace swallowed aware of their proximity suddenly, of the heat radiating off Alec in waves. Clearly, Alec had issues with how he had acted towards Jace before. He had to swallow again before he spoke throwing as much confidence into it as he could. "You developed a pattern with me that made it predictable to know when you might switch gears from violence to trying to rip my clothes off." Jace threw a cocky smirk that was instantly wiped off his face.

Alec snarled actually baring his teeth and for a half second Jace thought Alec was going to punch him, felt his body tensing to deflect the attack.

"So did the bond force you?" Alec practically hissed it out entire body locked tight, cords on his neck starting to stand out.

The idea had never crossed Jace's mind. He had just gone with instinct trying to reach Alec each time. But now that he thought about it, he didn't think it did.

"It never forced me, Alec." He whispered gently reaching out a hand to touch Alec's shoulder. Alec pulled away harshly, putting distance between them, his mouth twisted into a grimace.

"It just made you break up with Clary. Made you seek me out until you could pass my soul back." Alec laughed bitterly. "I should have seen it the moment I was aware."

Jace reached out through their bond, he could still sense Alec, feel the emotional turmoil that was roiling through him.

_What the hell did Magnus just say to him? Or was this the damn chrysalis?_

Jace steeled his expression, lifting his head up to stare Alec down. Only he couldn't there was too much anger and hurt in that gaze. "You were always Alec to me. Regardless of your mental faculties. I planned…It was my intention to have you that night."

Alec froze, expression morphing into shock. "Did you know?"

"That I had your soul inside me? Yeah, the Silent Brother told me weeks before that. I just didn't know how to transfer it back." Jace leaned back against the door watching Alec slowly back away from him. "I wanted you. I wanted to feel your soul against mine again before the Brotherhood took you."

Alec made a strange strangled sound.

"Tell me about the chrysalis." Jace whispered softly, trying to steer the conversation away from that night and onto something more practical. Alec sat down heavily on the bed, running his hands through his hair causing it to spike up at strange angles staring at the floor.

"I wanted it." Alec eventually said into the quiet. "It was just remnants of what the souls gave me. I don't even fully recall how Jonathan directed me into creating it. He couldn't, he wasn't a demon anymore. He just brought the blood and told me how. The souls traveled to heaven but what they left behind was pure power. The same power I used to destroy Edom, the same power I used to heal myself and recreate Jonathan."

Jace had gone stock still. He barely dared breathing.

Alec's tone shifted into an eerily grim tone. "Whatever was left he demanded I inject into the chrysalis while I was still inside. I didn't want to leave so he cut me out. Our plan was always to return and dismantle it, soak up the power in increments and disperse it naturally as magic. I think something went wrong because he started carving the angelic runes into me over and over and over again." Alec dug his hands tightly into his hair pulling. "And he dragged me from it, from that warm power. For so long I craved it, but couldn't find it. When I finally did, you and the others were always watching me." His tone shifted into something darker. "I hated it."

_Jonathan saved us._

The revelation did not sit well with Jace this truth resonated his carefully constructed view of Jonathan tearing it asunder. Jace still didn't move from his spot against the door, too afraid to break Alec's recollection.

Alec lifted his head to look at Jace. Jace had to flatten his palms into the door because that dark, lost look.

"_You left me."_

That past memory brought with it how Alec had appeared when they first brought him in, he looked like that now, feral with a rage simmering under the surface and…

_Stop thinking._

"Then I started craving you. Your presence, your blood, your touch. Anything just to ease the pain." Alec's voice came out rough.

Jace held Alec's gaze as the other searched Jace's eyes for something, before Alec cut his gaze away. "Alec, I'm not leaving you." It was the only thing Jace could think to say.

"Why? I'm not even sure what I am anymore." Alec glanced back at him waving a hand towards the dark stain spider webbing across his right arm.

Jace pushed off the door, latching it as he did so. The sound of the light click had Alec's gaze snapping up from where he had been staring at his arm. There was heat in that gaze. The blonde chose a roundabout way to sit down on the bed, giving Alec plenty of space and time to see him approaching.

_It's like a part of him is still wild._

"Remember when Clary first showed up and I went through like four last names in a summer? I felt the same way you are now. I had no idea who I was, except I was still Jace. I was still your parabati. I was still a warrior. I knew who my friends were, I held onto that. It helped me sort through it." Jace sat down behind Alec leaving plenty of space.

Alec let out a shuttering breath not turning to face him. "What if I give in?"

_Give in to what?_

Jace clenched his hands to keep from reaching out and touching Alec. He felt like it would break the spell that seemed to have fallen over his parabati. "Alec, is there any magic still out there you can use?"

"No. Yes. It's gone." The pure devastation in Alec's voice drove Jace forward until he had his arms wrapped around him. "I keep waiting-" Alec cut off on a shuddered breath.

His mind was attempting to digest everything Alec had told him. So much made sense now. So much didn't. "Ever think that the reason you…searched for me. Wasn't because of something Edom did to you but because you were trying to heal yourself in the only way you understood how." Jace asked him not releasing his grip.

Alec tensed drawing an arm back, the expected attack never came. "Why did you come to me?"

_This is why I don't do emotions._

Jace scrambled for an explanation in his head. Something witty or plausible to why he let Alec mark him when he wouldn't even let Clary near himself anymore. All his brain stupidly supplied him with was the remembered pulse and burn within the parabati rune and the deep ache every time they came together and he could feel Alec's soul for a moment.

At least now the rune seemed to be working normally, he could always feel Alec now. Feel the heartbeat of another soul against his own.

Alec shifted slightly, forcing Jace to realize he had gone quiet a beat too long. "Because we're parabati. I had to find you." _I_ _love you._

Those three words used to be so easy to say to Alec, now they held an even deeper meaning and Jace found it harder to admit.

Alec turned in his arms but kept his head buried in Jace's neck.

"Would you again?" The pure heat in that voice hit Jace's neck before shooting down his spine. It left him reeling for a moment feeling their shared rune begin to heat. He turned his head to brush a kiss along Alec's jaw, running a hand along Alec's arm up to his shoulder.

"We should meet the others." Alec informed him before turning his head enough to capture Jace's mouth. Jace opened to him instantly, not caring if they were late, letting the heat and warmth of that mouth surround his senses.

_Fuck the others. I want this._

Alec, unfortunately, pulled away disentangling their limbs. Something of a feat since Jace had practically crawled into Alec's lap sometime during that kiss and they were balancing precariously on the edge of the bed. He stared down at Jace, lips slightly parted and red, eyes dark with desire.

Jace watched mesmerized as Alec slowly lifted his torn shirt up and off his body revealing the runed skin underneath. Jace found himself swallowing hard when Alec dropped his hands to his pants, removing them as well. He scanned the dark runes, the flowing muscles, traced the dark lines of Edom with his heterochromia eyes. Lines that extended further than he remembered.

Then Alec reached over and tossed the new, clean shirt over his head. Jace gaped in shock, mouth falling open. He grabbed a pillow from behind him and threw it at Alec's head.

"Bastard." He yelled, only it came out low and husky. Alec batted the pillow away easily.

Alec raised an eyebrow at him before advancing towards Jace. Jace smirked grabbing a fistful of Alec's shirt, twisting, and throwing him on the bed with a surprised "omfph."

Jace tore his clothes off as Alec recovered, turning over to watch Jace. He noted Alec lick his lips subconsciously and grinned to himself. Then he dove for the door where his pile of clean clothes still remained, managing to pull his pants on before Alec slammed him into the wall biting his neck before lavishing open mouthed kisses along Jace's neck.

Jace arched into that touch, bit back a groan when Alec palmed him through his pants. "Going to be late for dinner." Alec told him, pulling away with a smirk.

_Don't care._

There was the click of the door unlocking that made Jace snap his eyes down to where Alec's hand had drifted too. It was resting on the lock. "You would never go out there in this state, especially with Magnus present." Jace challenged.

"I'm already dressed." Alec informed him something wicked and playful in his eyes that Jace suddenly wished he would see more frequently.

Then he pulled the door open leaving Jace in the room.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The sunlight filtering across the top floor of Magnus's flat streamed bright yellow beams across the floor as Jace stepped out to where the others had already gathered to eat. He could hear Clary explaining to Magnus and Simon all that had happened on their little mission.

_Great. This shall be a fantastic dinner._

Filled with bombs and landmines based on Magnus's expression when Jace actually stepped into view of everyone.

"Jace!" Simon yelled a bit too loudly. "Here, I've got a plate made up already."

Jace wandered over to the vampire, clocking where Alec was seated near Jonathan as he did so. Jonathan still had the bells attached to him by thin cords that he absently pulled at. Before sitting down next to the vampire and looking at whatever concoction the vampire had put together.

_Surprise. That actually looks good._

"Uh…thanks Simon." Jace told him, still thrown by the random hospitality. He hadn't freaked out that badly under the building. He clenched a fist and straightened his fingers.

Maybe he had.

"Clary was informing us what had occurred before myself and Simon had to rescue your Shadowhunter asses from the collective fire." Magnus told him, running a hand along the top of whatever alcoholic drink he held.

Jace shot a glance to Clary who just smiled encouragingly, before looking at Magnus. "Yeah. Thanks for saving our collective asses." Then he bit into whatever food was in front of him because damn he was starving and he needed time to get his mind successfully out of the gutter.

_Damn, Alec and his control._

Magnus quirked his head to the side, peering at Jace. "Thanks, accepted." He said slowly. "I will be billing Maryse though." Then Magnus turned his attention away from Jace. Instead focusing on Alec and Jonathan, his golden cat-eyes flickered. "Alec, you have invited me into your Institute in the past. I have even been inside Alicante, when its wards were down. I propose to invite you to the Spiral Labyrinth."

_Least that fixed my arousal problem._

Jace kept forcing himself to eat but kept his full attention on the conversation.

Alec set whatever bite he was about to take down, expression turning solid and impenetrable. "I'm not a warlock."

Magnus appeared mystified, before waving a hand in Clary's direction. "According to your account you absorbed an entire chrysalis's energy signature into your body before vaporizing everything in its path, yet somehow controlling it enough _not_ to vaporize your friends. Magic is in our blood."

"That blood doesn't exist anymore." Alec snapped.

Magnus stared at him flatly, before summoning an orb of blue, crackling power. "It does. There are hundreds of warlocks whose sires stem from Edom. I need to know you are under control. Partly for your benefit but mostly so I know we don't have another rogue Shadowhunter."

"He'll be fine." Jonathan stated with a charming smile. "You said it yourself. Alec did control it and unlike you he can't generate his magic back."

Another piece of the puzzle slotted into place in Jace's head. He wished he was a strategist.

Alec shifted in his seat, not meeting Magnus's gaze.

"Consider my offer." Magnus directed towards Alec, tossing the orb of magic towards Alec. Alec ducked the sailing magical ball, letting it fly over his dark head where is bounced off a nearby chair before winking out of existence. Magnus smiled cat eyes flashing gold.

"Could any of us join him?" Clary asked hopeful.

"No, Biscuit. No Nephilim will ever enter." Magnus informed her. She cocked her head to the side appearing vaguely confused.

"How come vampires don't have any great stores of knowledge?" Simon pipped up. "I mean you have the Spiral Labyrinth for warlocks, Alicante for Nephilim, even the werewolves have an offshoot to some great library."

Magnus appeared thoughtful for a moment, but it was Izzy that spoke up. "Unfortunately, most vampire clans keep their knowledge sequestered within the clan and rarely broadcast what they know to other clans. So the knowledge is much less condensed."

There was a loud jangle of bells as Jonathan got up to wander over to one of the windows looking out at the city. Jace smirked when he noticed the ex-demon pulling at one of the bells at his wrist. Seriously, best idea ever, the guy couldn't so much as breath without setting off the chimes.

"Hey Jace. Can I talk to you for a second? Just us?" Simon questioned.

Izzy shot a derisive look to her boyfriend. Simon blanched.

"Is this more dating advice?" Jace asked turning to face the vampire. Simon's body drooped for a second before he straightened up face going red.

_Oh it's definitely dating advice._

"If it is, he could just ask me to actually plan the date then. Jace has been on exactly one date his entire life." Izzy idly implied, poking at the remains of her food. She glanced at Jace then back to Simon. "I think you ended up on the same date actually. Wasn't that back when you were with Maia that ended so badly?"

_Thanks for bringing that epic failure back to the limelight._

Simon face paled before looking over at Jace pleadingly.

Jace decided to take pity on the poor vampire. "Izzy, just let the poor guy ask me for my stellar relationship advice. Just so long as it's nothing about sex. I'm not helping you there, figure that out yourself." He felt his gaze slide towards Alec who had wandered over to Jonathan at some point and both were talking quietly by the window.

"Trust me, Izzy. Simon is a diehard romantic at heart." Clary pipped up.

It worked. Simon dragged Jace off to the side to begin whatever dismal interrogation about dating he was currently stumped on.

"Finally. Never thought I would get you away." Simon laughed to himself before looking at Jace.

Jace just crossed his arms, inspecting the vampire for any fatal flaws. "Dazzle me."

"So it's the scent from the chrysalis actually. It smelled the same as the parabati rune did when you got really sick weeks ago. You know, when you smelled like fried angel. I knew I recognized the scent from somewhere but I couldn't pin it down until I was digging you guys out and then when Clary said Alec used magic." Simon said it all in one rush.

Jace rocked back slightly. He could have used that piece of information weeks ago. Hell, even just one day ago. Anything to have stopped Alec from doing…well whatever the hell he actually did to bring the building down and vaporize everything.

"Alec kind of smells like that now." Simon said a little more cautiously.

Jace forced himself not to search out Alec's form across the wide, open room instead focusing on the nervous vampire before him. Simon swallowed and gave a small nervous grin. "So? Thoughts?"

Jace let out a huff. "Yeah. I could have used that knowledge weeks ago, yesterday even. Why didn't you say anything?"

"Well, I mean it was just a smell. I didn't think it was very important then. Just that you really stunk, badly." Simon said, glancing down towards the parabati rune.

Jace gave him a small glare. "Next time tell me if you smell, hear, or see anything weird."

"You mean besides the fact Alec is all buddy buddy with Jonathan? Well, Jonathan smells normal. Well, normal like a shadowhunter normal."

_Don't remind me._

"Just tell me if you notice anything, ok." Jace said.

Simon grinned. "I can be like a super spy."

"Hmm, Simon. What was that sight touch technique you mentioned called? Use that." Jace told him, hoping the pale vampire wouldn't actually understand what he was truly seeking.

Simon looked at him slowly cocking his head to the side before his eyes widened. "Oh! Grounding techniques. Hearing, Smell, Touch, Sight, Taste. You use them fo-"

"Yeah. I get it. Use all of that for your super spy thing. Tell me what you find."

Excellent, now he had a way to not freak out next time the Owl's memories came calling that loudly. It brought some stability and control back. Bonus, he now had a vampire spying on Jonathan for him.

He pointedly ignored the concerned look Simon gave him when he went back to the table and Izzy who looked about ready to demand answers to whatever "date" Simon was plotting.

O – O – O – O – O – O

Alec slammed his fist into the punching bag in front of him. It sent a single jolt up through his arm.

_Harder._

He hit it with his other arm harder.

_Harder._

Continued the relentless assault attempting to decimate the bag, if he could just get it to shatter it would make the feeling of the power coursing through him stop for one second.

"Your mother is charming as always." Jonathan said walking in and selecting two sharp blades. "Apparently, our mission is considered a success seeing how you decimated the problems."

Alec slammed his fist into the bag again. It didn't break.

_Harder._

"It was a little concerning how the…how did they put it…"rational, logical one." Didn't show up for the debriefing. Clary seemed rather concerned about everyone getting trapped under the building, particularly Jace."

Alec felt power release up his arm on the next swing, the punching bag exploded.

Jonathan cocked his head. "Remnants?"

Alec rubbed at his right arm. He had already noticed that the dark stain traveling up his arm had traveled further since absorbing the magic from the chrysalis and using it to destroy the red warm shell. Technically, it was a win. The power was no longer condensed, demons couldn't access it, and it no longer called to him when he slept. No the problem lay with the fact he could feel the power sinking into his newly healed soul. Tiny tendrils of magic he wanted to tear out as much as he wanted to soak it in.

_I hate dichotomy._

"You going to use those with Clary?" Alec waved a hand towards the weapons Jonathan had chosen.

"These are for you, my friend." Jonathan tossed him the blades. "Besides, I want to see it."

Alec spun both blades through his hands briefly readying himself for the first attack from Jonathan. The red head prowled towards him casually, small smirk forming. Before breaking into a run at Alec kicking him in the chest before lashing out with a sword.

Alec deflected it easily, tapping Jonathan's arm with his other sword. There was a brief back and forth of the weapons clashing before Jonathan lunged forward catching one of Alec's swords on his own bringing it into the floor. Alec quickly brought his other sword up to tap at Jonathan's exposed side only for Jonathan to bat it away, reverse his grip and slash straight down his entire right arm.

Blood hit the floor.

Both froze staring at the other.

"See, its red." Jonathan informed him casually but he was breathing hard.

_Not black._

Alec dropped the blades, before heading over to grab bandages for the arm from the nearby cabinet.

"Why are you here Jonathan?"

Jonathan picked up one of the bandages and began wrapping the wound he had inflicted. "What does your logic tell you about the magic you just disposed of? A magic so addicting that the one warlock that attempted to disperse it was consumed, eaten alive by his own power."

"What does your logic say about being here?" Alec shot back.

Jonathan frowned at him, touching the new areas the dark stain had spread. "Logic says I shouldn't even be alive. I should have died in Edom. I should have died beneath the Silent City and I should have died in that hellhole with the chrysalis. None of those happened. What is the one thing we always told the other when we first crawled out of there?"

Alec sighed. "Life is a struggle. Pain means you are alive. You know I don't regret remaking your body." Jonathan dropped his gaze to finish bandaging his arm.

"I may not be connected to you as a parabati but you held my soul as those souls ripped my body apart. You didn't let them take me. And I will not let you consume yourself thinking you cannot control this. You can. You did it with less than half your soul." Jonathan tapped the dark black veins stretched across his shoulder now.

Alec reached up to grip his hand. "Are you ok, Jonathan?" He met the others gaze. "Are you happy I changed you?"

Jonathan smiled, it reached his green eyes. "I have never been lighter than these past couple months. When I was part demon I was in constant pain, my own demonic blood burned my angelic body. You released me from a lifetime of torture. You saved me when my own sister could not, no matter how much she desired to."

Alec stared at him. "The souls weren't evil. They were never evil. They were just lost like you were." He let his hand drift up and touch the red hair he remembered the soul's power guiding him to recreate. "There were so many, there was no difference between Nephilim and Downworlder in the souls." He dropped his hand leaning back away from Jonathan. "I think it's the one thing I am most proud of, that my mom didn't throw away my hard work to integrate Downworlders into Nephilim law and deputizing some."

"Yes, well, have any room for ex-demons as a deputy? I find I enjoy it here. I don't want to return to the Silent City. Clave is still out on my death." Jonathan leaned back on his hands as well, kicking Alec's leg when he didn't respond immediately.

"I'll work on it. There would be a lot more training and hoops to allow for that. Will Clary be going with you?"

"I don't know. Clary will always try to be there for me. But she tends to be fickle about her priorities." Jonathan gave a low laugh, tilting his head back.

"Uh…what's going on here?" It was Jace, along with Simon and Clary all three were looking at them suspiciously. Clearly the three were there for afternoon training.

Alec glanced down at his body, the trail of bright red blood on the floor, then looked over at Jonathan who sat with bandages around him and hands coated in blood he hadn't bothered to wash off. Jonathan gave a small huff of laughter. Alec burst out laughing.

He didn't know why it was so funny. Just that the absurdity of him and Jonathan always ending up in pools of blood together and the high stress of everything that had been going on in his life.

"So Jonathan didn't try to attack you?" Jace questioned rather harshly.

"No." Alec tried to calm his laughter enough to talk. Took one look at Jonathan who was now also laughing, which sent him back into it. However, when he looked up at Jace's rather concerned, angry expression his laughter faded away. "No. He didn't attack me, just proving a point."

"Yeah what point was that?" Simon asked. "That's a pretty deep cut. Also you smell weird."

_That I can control it._

Jace however had gone strangely still after Simon had spoken. Alec gathered up the unused bandages putting them back in the cabinet. "Jonathan you dealt the injury. Go get a bucket and mop."

"Yes, pure shadowhunter, I live to do your bidding." Jonathan drawled waving a hand flippantly, he didn't move. Alec shot him a warning look. Jonathan grumbled something and got up to find the supplies.

Jace gripped his arm covered in bandages. "He could have used an Iratze. Or did you both forget a stele?"

_No, I needed the reminder._

The arm covered in bandages was stained bright red, he could leave it on for the day even if Jace used an Iratze to heal the wound. Jace was already lifting his shirt and running his stele over his skin to draw the Iratze before Alec could suggest or deny it.

"Going to explain why you didn't come to debriefing?" Jace questioned as he wrote the rune, the burn sinking into his skin letting him know it was working.

Alec pulled his shirt down. "Mom doesn't trust me right now. My report of the event would have been questioned anyway, there was no need." He flexed his arm testing the new skin under the bandages.

_Completely healed._

Jace blinked jaw tightening. "Since when do you balk at responsibility?"

Alec glanced at the ceiling because this was not the conversation he wanted to have right now, especially not with Clary observing the whole thing. "I'm not shirking my responsibilities, Jace. I just fixed one in case you forgot." His arm itched under the bandages now.

"I didn't forget, but I think you are starting to forget who the enemy is."

"Jonathan isn't our enemy! It's the damn demons trying to draw their symbol for a portal back to the void!" Alec roared at Jace. He reached up to itch at the bandages over his shoulder, realizing the cut was lower and shifted his hand to the area above his elbow to pull the bandage off.

_Don't ask, don't ask, don't ask._

"How do you know that?" Jace slowly asked.

_Damnit._

He felt dizzy, he couldn't recall the last time he ate, sometime before the mission for sure. He recognized the symbol on the map in the Ops Center weeks ago when the Silent Brother had released him from that cell. He couldn't recall where he learned the symbol from, the chrysalis, the souls, Jonathan perhaps, a combination of all three.

"I don't know."

"You're lying to me." Jace reeled back as if struck.

Alec growled, tearing the bandage off just for something to do. "You lie all the time."

"Draw it." Clary demanded, walking up and handed him her notebook with a pencil.

His hand was shaking when he reached out to take the notebook and pencil. He sat down on the floor partly because his legs weren't going to hold him up much longer, closed his eyes, picturing the red magic as it spiraled through his body the form it took, felt himself break out in a sweat. Opening his eyes he started to trace the symbol he remembered. He felt rivulets of sweat start to track down his back.

He was halfway through the ornate symbol when Jonathan returned with the bucket and mop. He started cleaning up the blood on the floor asking what Alec was drawing since the other three were hovering so close.

"Draw it on two separate pages." Jonathan advised.

Alec paused staring at the image, hand shaking. His mouth felt papery and dry, he swallowed trying to work moisture back. He turned the page. The stele nearly slipped. No it was a pencil.

_Finish it then sleep._

Sleep sounded wonderful. He couldn't recall if he had slept at Magnus's either the remnants of the red magic kept him awake burning for a release.

Jonathan was kneeling in front of him, holding the pencil. "Finish it. Then you keel over."

He took the pencil finishing the second half of the symbol, handing the notebook to Clary. His arm was shaking so much he could see the notebook swaying.

O – O – O – O – O – O

Jace couldn't decide what he was feeling. He had thought with Alec's soul back they would be past magical bullshit. Obviously not, as Jonathan informed them Alec was going into some kind of magical drain shock. The strain from decimating the chrysalis. Jace also knew Alec had not eaten at Magnus's claiming an upset stomach during the one meal they had there.

Clary had taken the sheets of paper straight to Maryse and Lydia, Simon had gone with her with some excuse Jace hadn't fully focused on.

Jonathan had informed Jace he would stay and clean up the mess he and Alec had made, which gave Jace the freedom to half drag, half carry Alec to his room to sleep off the shock.

_And here I thought we were making such great progress._

Jace clenched his eyes shut before rubbing his hands down his face.

Yeah, progress. Progress towards annihilating the chrysalis, needed to be done. Discovering the demonic symbol the demons were trying to create using the city, also required. But _damn it_, he was losing it. He could feel the tension in his and Alec's bond when he drew that symbol stretching it taut.

He looked over at the sleeping form next to him. Tracking how much further the dark black veins had crawled up the arm and onto Alec's shoulder.

Alec had been soaked in sweat by the time Jace got him to his room, so Jace had forced him out of most of his clothes before dumping him in the bed.

He picked up his stele and began to twirl it through his fingers. He wasn't leaving until Alec woke up and they could talk again.

He paced, he flipped through the old pictures Alec had on his dresser, which had been cleared of any makeup from Magnus or Izzy. Smiling at an old picture of Alec, Izzy, and himself all smiling after a training session, it had been taken a couple months before they met Clary. When he got to the end of the photograph book he found one of Alec and Magnus smiling on some date. His gut twisted slightly looking at how happy the two had been together. Jace and Alec used to have that ease until Clary arrived, now whatever their parabati bond had become felt renewed yet muddled with emotions Jace couldn't begin to sort through. All he knew was that Alec and he belonged to the other. The last picture was one of Jonathan Morgenstern sitting at the piano decorated with skulls within the Silent City. The caption read "Survive. Rebuild. You control it."

_More secrets._

Although he supposed Alec's apparent friendship with the ex-demon wasn't kept hidden. Neither had tried to hide the fact they were now friends. It still felt strange holding evidence that his dark haired, usually strict, parabati had become so close to Jonathan in the span of a few days before Maryse had sent Jonathan to the Silent City. Jace doubted this picture was approved by Maryse or a Silent Brother and had probably been taken by Clary on one of her several trips to visit her brother.

He contacted Clary and Simon to bring food up.

It was hours later, one plate of food now sat untouched on Alec's desk, the other empty, when Alec finally stirred.

Jace watched him slowly blink his eyes open before meeting his gaze. There was a quiet softness in that dark brown gaze filled with longing and love, then Alec blinked coming fully awake and it was gone. The shades and walls from years of practice hiding his emotions towards Jace slamming up on instinct. Jace wished he could evoke the same response in Alec as he had when he was holding his soul, let him unravel beneath him desperate and moaning his name. At least then their souls had been so interlocked he could barely tell the other apart.

Now all he felt was fucking confused. Alec had opened up briefly at the loft and now he was building the walls again.

"Morning?" Alec questioned, before squeezing his eyes shut and running a hand down his right arm pressing into the muscles hard.

"It's evening. You in pain?"

Alec blinked startled before narrowing his eyes at Jace.

_Seriously? We're going to wake up with an attitude already._

Fine. Jace was going to force him into feeling something. He swung his leg over Alec's body so he was sitting on top of him.

Based on the wide-eyed look Alec was now giving him he had succeeded.

"You and I need to talk." Jace declared, crossing his arms over his chest and using his weight to pin Alec.

Alec glanced up, away from Jace before returning his gaze with a cold steel. "Great. Can I eat and use the bathroom?" Sarcasm and annoyance dripped from Alec's every word.

Jace blinked, then lifted himself off Alec. "Fine, but you aren't escaping out the window and I'm locking the door."

Alec swallowed and rolled away, heading towards the bathroom. Jace leapt off of the bed to draw the locking rune on the door, then drew a small heat rune on the plate to reheat the food. Before settling himself on the bed and spinning his stele waiting for Alec to come back out of apparently a shower now based on the sounds of water hitting the tile continuously.

When Alec emerged from the shower, a cloud of steam following him, Jace was still laying down, spinning his stele through his hands switching it back and forth at varying paces.

"Took long enough." He grumbled, stopping the stele.

Alec just gave him a blank look before wandering over to the food, taking one look at it and pushed it away. Turning to face Jace. "Alright. Spit it out."

"Eat first. I'm not going anywhere. I have Clary and Simon covering my patrol tonight. You owe them by the way, this Thursday you and I get a double shift."

Alec sat down, poking at the food before taking a bite and grimacing. "Excellent. You know I'm fine. I didn't eat at Magnus's and must have been low on blood sugar." Alec told him, waving the fork briefly in Jace's general direction once for emphasis.

"Yeah. Stop dodging me all the time. That's my job." Jace chided, tossing Alec a smirk.

Especially, during the hell that was chasing after Clary every second. He had dodged Alec every chance he got, nearly destroying their parabati bond. And he had blamed Alec for it the whole way. His brain had clearly been thinking with a lower part of his anatomy during those summer months. Although, Alec's dismal attitude could have used some help back then too. Jace still fully blamed him for getting himself lost in the parabati rune.

_Lost in the parabati rune. Fucking hell, he knew the way by instinct because he went there before._

Alec ate in silence for a time before setting the half eaten plate aside. "Alright, I'm listening."

Jace sat up, jolting out of his thoughts. "You never explained how you knew what the demons were after." That had been his original question anyway.

Alec's gaze harden into a mask.

_Guess blunt and straight forward doesn't work much anymore._

Jace crossed his arms, jaw clenching. "Maybe I should ask Jonathan. He seems to know more about you than I do lately."

_Well, that sounds pathetic._

If anything Alec's gaze shifted into a darker, harsher mask. "Jonathan is a friend. Nothing more. If that's all you needed to discuss then I suggest you get out."

"You know your hot and cold attitude is really starting to piss me off. I'm not sure if it's the soul thing or you being addicted to magic. What you craving me again?" Jace bit it out harsher than he expected and based on the flicker of blatant hurt and surprise that crossed Alec's face, he had managed to hit home.

_Good. Bastard can hurt for once._

Alec's next words came at him like ice and frost. "I need you to leave."

It was like they were back at square one when Alec had first left the cell. Still delirious and volatile.

"Fuck you." Jace snapped.

_Damn, probably shouldn't have said that._

Especially, considering Jace had done just that recently. And then how Alec had just responded at Magnus's, when he opened up briefly.

"_Did you like the other me? Out of control and mad?"_

Alec was already moving away, grabbing his jacket and stele.

"Alec." Jace tried to stop him.

"Next time I let Edom's magic course through me. _Don't_ touch me. Wouldn't want you to be the one who sins." Alec snarled, yanking open the door. Pure fury washed across his face when it didn't budge.

Jace spun his stele, throwing a half-amused smirk towards Alec. Inside he was terrified this discussion was going to end in violence again.

_Rational mind gone, self-control fraying, logic struggling._

Jace could practically countdown the internal struggle Alec went through to not punch him. "Open the door, Jace."

"No. You never run from fights. So answer the question." Jace crossed his arms over his chest in his usual dominance stance, staring Alec down.

Red glowed under Alec's jacket, a barely discernable flicker that Jace would have missed if he hadn't been staring up at Alec obstinately.

"Did something happen with that chrysalis in that head of yours?" Jace snapped, then forced his voice into something smoother. "Something I should know as your parabati."

Alec turned his head to look over at Jace.

"Your parabati." Alec coldly said, that feral look was back in his eyes. Alec lifted his right hand up, the dark black lines stretched across it were glowing a faint red. "Wants to leave."

_Demonic chrysalis ate a warlock, Alec controlled it enough to release the power and not incinerate us all._

Jace's eyes widened, alarm sparking through him.

_No way._

"Alec, how much of that power did you need to keep inside to stop from incinerating us all?"

For a moment, Jace couldn't read Alec, couldn't even feel whatever emotion had started warping through Alec before Alec put the barriers up between their parabati rune to stop the emotional flow for a moment. Alec remained rigid, hand still glowing softly red.

Jace reached for him through the bond, trying to push concern, compassion, and any warmth towards Alec.

"Understand this, Jace." Alec began oddly controlled despite the red gleaming through his veins. "I control this. And nothing you do will force me to loosen that grip."

O – O – O – O – O – O

The double demon patrol shift Jace had traded Simon and Clary for to try and talk to Alec arrived before Jace recovered from the conversation two nights prior.

_Blasted waste of time that trade was._

He glanced towards Alec who had remained quiet for most of their patrol, only speaking when required and annihilating the demons they did come across with his arrows. He kept searching for that telltale red glow from Alec's right hand, the only skin visible. Jace usually took point, the fact he kept falling back to walk beside Alec probably wasn't helping him keep himself from being obscure either.

"You could stop looking at me like I'm going to eat the demons." Alec commented casually, pulling a fingerless glove over the hand.

_Quite certain you might have done that before._

"Ever wonder what fried demon would taste like? If we kill enough and ignore the whole poisonous effect we would solve world hunger." Jace tossed back keeping it light, fully aware Alec understood what he had been searching for.

Alec looked at him flatly before moving on to the next alleyway to start scanning the area for demonic traces. "It burns and tastes of power."

_Hypothesis. Conclusion complete._

He kept walking, not breaking his stride. "Why did you do that?" Jace kept his tone mild, a difficult feat since he wanted to smack Alec across the back of the head right now.

Alec shrugged. "To keep from ripping your heart out." Alec glanced over at him gauging his reaction.

Jace knew he had paused now, mouth tight. He shook his head once, continued walking. "Was that before or after you tried seducing me?"

Alec stopped. Jace paused just inside the alleyway, alert for either a demon or a response.

"After. It sated the need until you blasted it out of my system." There was anger curling into that voice, but Alec mostly just sounded exhausted.

Alec threw his bow onto his back, rubbing at his head before dropping his hand to massage at his right arm. He looked back at Jace, dark brow furrowing slightly. "Stop looking at me like that."

_I can't not look at you._

Jace almost jumped when Alec moved back towards him, stopping in front of him, reaching a hand up run his fingers along Jace's jaw. He tilted his head into Alec's fingers seeking more pressure, knew his eyes had fallen half closed just from that simple gesture and that they should be paying attention to their surroundings.

Alec's hand dropped and the body heat Jace had felt a moment ago moved away. He felt a pitiful whine creep up his throat that he refused to release into the air.

_Damn fucking self-control._

Jace went to take a step after Alec, he froze mid-step, could see that red glow under the jacket near Alec's shoulder. Something smelled like it was burning. "Alec?"

"Shh. There's about 10 demons above."

_Stupid._

Jace glanced up, there perched several black scaled demons twisting their tails through the air, all clinging to the surface of the wall with large sharp claws, easing his seraph blade out quietly he crouched waiting. Alec had his bow out, arrow pointed into the dark, he let it fly. Jace heard the _thunk_ as it hit flesh, followed by the cry of the other demons.

Leaping up Jace used the wall as leverage to push himself into another jump, landing on the ledge three of the demons crouched. He smirked at the demons slow response, one bat-like demon dropped following Alec, Jace lunged at the two remaining decapitating one and impaling the other before the deadly claws reached him.

_That was easy._

Jace leapt across the alleyway as three demons were dropping to the ground. Using his momentum he slammed his blade into one as he collided with its scaled body on the ground, heard a _whizz_ as an arrow flew by impaling another behind him.

Spinning to search the darkness for the remaining demons, there were three and all were circling Alec who had thrown his bow onto his back and had his seraph blade out. None of the demons were paying Jace any attention.

_Fish in a barrel._

Jace sprinted towards the fight.

Alec lashed out striking one demon across the throat, black ichor spurting through the air. The other two demons leaped latching onto his shoulder and hip, tearing into the flesh with teeth and claws.

Jace stabbed his seraph blade into the scaled demon on Alec's shoulder, it was already falling away its face melted into a twisted pile of black ichor, flesh and bone.

Stunned Jace swung his gaze to the other demon that Alec was extracting his arm from, a black ichor covered muscle held in his hand.

"Alec?"

The black blob of ichor hit the ground with a wet splat, Alec clawed his hand into his arm hard tearing at the skin, knees buckling.

_Shit._

Jace performed a quick 360 degree check for remaining demons before kneeling in front of Alec, forcing his head up to look at him. "Hey. Look at me." Jace demanded.

Jace racked his brain trying to recall conversations about the magic Alec had told him.

"_I wanted it. It was just remnants…"_

That was the back at Magnus's loft. Alec had wanted the magical power inside him then, had it now. And just a few seconds ago.

"_It sated the need."_

Jace eyed the black heart laying on the ground with disgust.

"Alright. You and me are getting a place to stay and you are stripping for me." Jace dragged him upright.

The comment worked, Alec snapped his gaze away from the demon to search Jace's in confusion.

_Right. Just keep him focused on me until we get far enough away._

"What?" Alec questioned, his eyes looked drugged.

Jace felt more inappropriate words bubbling up into his throat, he swallowed them down.

"Why do you think so many people find me attractive?" He said.

_Because that was a much better topic._

Jace wanted to smack himself, that question would have been fine for just about anyone else to keep a random relaxed conversation going, just not Alec.

Alec pushed himself away from Jace, scratching at his wrist. "I'm fine." He was eyeing the dark blob on the ground with an unreadable expression before turning and walking away.

_Bullshit._

Jace waited until they were a good three blocks away.

"I'm in control." Alec spoke before Jace did.

"Yeah? Didn't look like it to me."

Alec didn't look at him, eyes scanning the area they were supposed to be patrolling. "You survived even though you were not in control of your actions. I'll survive something I can." Alec said.

The words sent icy into Jace's veins. He clenched his fist tightly, flexing it and running through each finger. They moved.

"Your survival isn't about control. It's about us. It's because our bond, because you-"

"I would tear you apart." Alec growled.

The implication of those words hit hard, because no Jace was not ready for that. He wasn't sure he would ever be ready for that.

"I need you to drop how I handle this." Alec raised his right hand up flexing the hand glowing red.

_I can't risk making yourself an Endarkened._

"I came to you that night." Jace reminded him.

The reaction was instant, Alec froze and the rune at Jace's side dumped heat through his body.

"What do you want, Jace?" Alec swallowed. "It was the bond, a one-time thing. I agree with you on that point. But I know you don't want…" He trailed off.

Jace pushed Alec's shoulder more to move him back than any aggression. "First, it wasn't just once. And you don't know what I want." Jace said advancing after him.

Alec shot him a disbelieving look before rolling his eyes towards the sky. "Jace, you've never been interested until the bond warped."

Jace clenched his jaw tight, fists bunching up. "Why are you being a dick about this?"

"Because I corrupted the bond, not even Magnus could stop that. I sinned because I couldn't let you go!" Alec froze, face paling even in the dark.

"I don't care! Don't you get it? I kept your soul inside me for weeks, oblivious." Jace took a breath, attempting to lower his voice from the yell. "It didn't even affect me because the bond didn't need to change for me to let you in. Stop seeking magic, I'm right here."

They stared at each other for a moment.

Jace's back hit the wall, Alec's mouth over his, hands splayed across bare skin under his shirt.

_Finally._

Jace bit at Alec's lower lip harshly before sweeping his tongue across it devouring Alec's mouth, rolling his hips against Alec's.

Alec pressed closer to him, dragging the shirt halfway up to run his hands over the bare skin of Jace's back.

"About time you lost control." Jace hissed into Alec's mouth, sealing their lips again before Alec could respond. Focusing on using his tongue to shut up the angry comeback he knew would have followed.

Alec lifted Jace up, pressing him into the wall, still attacking his mouth.

Some distant part of Jace was warning him to slow down.

His pulse was running rampant, the parabati rune, every press and kiss from Alec dumping arousal through his bloodstream.

"Alec."

Jace slowly fluttered his eyes open to gaze at Alec. Alec met that stare, even as Jace saw conflict flicker across his face. Alec slanted their mouths together but didn't press into a full kiss.

"I will tear you up." Alec murmured.

_Fuck._

Jace blinked, this was where he drew the line apparently.

"No." Jace pushed Alec back with one arm even as he tugged Alec's hips into a slow grind with the other.

Alec started to suck at his neck. "You're giving me mixed signals here." He whispered against Jace's neck before resuming putting a mark on Jace's neck at the juncture of neck and shoulder.

Jace tangled his fingers in Alec's hair, throwing his blonde head back against the wall. "Yeah, you too."

Alec stopped, giving one last nip, before stepping away from him, arms still caging Jace in.

Jace still wasn't sure if he wanted this to stop or continue. He had a clear idea of where he wanted Alec and it wasn't here. If he could reverse their positions he would be a lot calmer about this, but Alec had him caged in.

Alec ran a finger over Jace's lips. "No, Herondale wit now?" There was something almost sad in Alec's voice.

Jace couldn't really think right now, most of his blood having left his brain.

_Just want him._

Jace reached up gripping Alec's neck before sliding his hand down along Alec's right arm, the gesture familiar now.

"Yeah, you kiss good."

Alec's mouth turned up slightly into an amused smirk. "Eloquent as always, I picked some things up."

_Magnus._

And just like that the heat that had formed, cooled, evening out into something Jace could rein back in. He closed his eyes to control his breathing, already knew he was going to need a long cold shower when they got home.

_Or a hot one._

Through a silent agreement they cut the patrol short by an hour. Parting ways with a slide of Alec's hand down his back, a strange reassurance. Jace headed straight for that hot shower.

O – O – O – O – O – O

The smell of parchment and wood was not something Jace thought would have become his home the last couple days, but the library had become just that. He had hidden himself out on the second floor in an alcove that would keep him hidden. There were still several other shadowhunters within the Institute that either worked there or would routinely enter. All of whom Jace wanted to avoid.

Not because of the idea that most people thought he disliked reading, but the material he was choosing to read.

_Demon magic._

Thus far he had learned a lot about how demons could cast illusions, a recount on necromancy he had rather never known about, hellmist while interesting proved pointless to his search, mind control he had slammed the book on and refused to pick it back up.

Jace rubbed his hands across his face. He had about an hour before his next training session with Simon and Clary followed by whatever mission Maryse was assigning them today. He picked up the next books containing knowledge on projection and demon pox.

Hands with a silver snake bracelet slammed down on the book he was sliding across the table to himself.

He turned his jolt into a lean back against his chair to attempt to cover up the fact Izzy had snuck up on him.

"Didn't know you could read?" She smirked. "Thought that was for your "book club" or are you off limits now?"

Book club had been his little list of fairy girls he had rotated through for sex. Both Izzy and Alec knew about it but he had stopped calling them up as much with Clary, hadn't even thought of it since the whole thing with Alec and Edom.

Jace shot her an irritated look. "I'm researching which requires reading that book."

Izzy picked the book up, flipping through the pages. "Any particular reason you are looking up demon pox?"

_Yeah, an insane one._

"No. It's just research. We have too many demon sightings lately and with Alec's symbol matching the locations of the demon sightings figured I would get a head start on possible issues."

She raised an eyebrow, before rolling her eyes. "You sound like Alec. I'm surprised you aren't training with him and Jonathan. Figured you would want to get a hit or two on him." Izzy said.

Izzy smoothed her tight, black dress out before sitting down across from Jace at the table.

"How are you and Alec?" Izzy asked gently.

_Fucking fuzzy bucket of warm feelings._

Izzy must have read his frustrated irritation on his face. "Really? Because I thought you two would be closer now." She said, leaning her arms onto the table.

Jace rubbed his face again, because for all Alec had opened up to him he still felt like he couldn't reach him. He reached down to touch the parabati rune just to feel the familiar warmth, the pulse and burn having changed into a warm flow of energy between them.

"Izzy, he's still struggling with magic addiction, I think. I'm not even sure anymore." Jace admitted.

Izzy smirked devilishly. "Have you tried your d-"

"No! Angel, Izzy. I was desperate last time. The fact you even know about that is weird enough." Jace folded his arms across his chest, beginning to spin his stele since he obviously wasn't getting any reading done while she badgered him.

His mind unhelpfully suppling a hot mouth and a hotter body.

Izzy hummed to herself, drawing another book towards herself to flip through its contents.

"Is there a reason you sought me out?" Jace asked her, smoothing his voice out from the irritated tremble it wanted to become.

"Yeah, I wanted to ask if you were ok?" Izzy said.

_Huh?_

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" Jace looked over at her confused.

Izzy twisted the snake bracelet that held her hidden whip, her mouth drawn into a thin line. "Simon mentioned you were quite hysterical after the building collapsed. I was waiting for you to bring it up, but you never did."

Jace instantly clenched his fist, nearly snapping his stele in the process, before running through each finger ensuring they moved, they did.

_Damn vampire hearing, that's why he found me first._

Izzy watched him carefully. "Jace, I'm glad you took steps to start to heal from the Owl." She reached out to take his hand when it convulsed again. "But you need to take the next step. Let it go. The Owl and Lilith are both dead. Jonathan isn't going to touch you. He adores Alec too much."

Jace stared at her, he knew tears were starting to form in his eyes and hated himself for it. "What if I get possessed again? I can't go back to a…a minion."

Izzy came around the table to sit beside him and wrapped him in a half hug. "Jace, both Alec and I have been possessed. It wasn't as long as yours but we understand that feeling of helplessness because you can't control your own body. I was lucky, Clary stabbed me to release me from the demon. Alec and you were not so lucky, it forced you both to kill."

Jace hunched over gripping the table, turning his head away from her and wiping furiously at his face. His breath was coming too sharply.

The Owl had tortured him for weeks in his mind with killing Clary over and over only for him to actually stab Alec in the chest, it was had been so close to the heart he could feel the heartbeat in the arrow shaft he had held.

"We're here for you. No matter what. You know that, we got you out of Lilith's control." Izzy comforted him.

"_They say the worse pain a shadowhunter can feel is the loss of his parabati."_

Jace swept the books off the table with a yell. Izzy held onto him tighter, waiting patiently. He choked on a breath, before letting out a sob. He pulled his shirt up to make sure the parabati rune was still there, it hadn't moved. "Where's Clary?"

Izzy rocked him slightly. "Clary is just fine. She's in the training room with Simon right now." She told him.

He let out a sob. "I couldn't keep being near her. She kept reminding me of it. I couldn't even train with her alone without remembering. I'm weak." It came out broken and tearful.

"You, Jace, are the best shadowhunter in New York. It's ok to take a moment to slow down and heal." Izzy affirmed.

Jace remained trembling and gasping in her arms for longer than he wanted to admit, before he managed to compose himself enough to lift his blonde head up enough to look at Izzy.

She smiled back, all concern and dark long hair.

"I don't know how to let this go. Every time I see Jonathan I'm reminded of it. I can't even talk to Alec about it."

Izzy tapped her hand on his side in a gentle reminder that he could talk to Alec. "Have you tried talking to Jonathan about Lilith, you two might have more in common disliking her than you want to admit. I would suggest Clary, but I suppose that might be awkward now that you two are broken up."

_I'm not talking to the madman. I talked to enough madmen in my life already._

Valentine had been his psychotic father until he was ten, looking back he felt stupid for forgetting that Maryse had taken him in and treated him better than her own son. No, following the logic of one madman was one mistake to many, he was not repeating that again.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Jonathan found himself smiling, grinning broadly as the tiny twelve year old before him spun the Skeptron, a large metal staff with a red gem at the end, between his hands expertly before stopping the form and turning to look at Jonathan with both eager and wary brown eyes.

_So like your brother._

Training with Max had surprisingly become one of Jonathan's favorite past times, mostly because that small little boy had done what no one else could, twice. He had tracked him both as a demon and as a shadowhunter, it still amazed him. He was more than curious just how far he could train Max before Maryse stepped in thinking he was training a killer. Which he was.

"Jace was surprisingly intelligent to gift you that weapon. The rise of Edomic demons within New York has certainly increased. You mind if I try it?" Jonathan asked Max.

Max glanced over at Alec who sat leaning casually against the far wall passing his stele over each arrow he was currently preparing for a hunt later. "Let him try it Max. He's the one who taught you the correct forms." Alec said without looking up from the sharp arrow.

Max shifted uneasily, before twisting the weapon between his hands. "Why don't you try it, Alec?"

_Challenging little bugger._

Jonathan felt his lips turning up in a small smile when Alec glanced up to look at Max. "Max, my expertise is long range. I understand swords and a number of other short range weapons too. I've never learned the skeptron. Let him teach you, he won't bite. If he tries I'll put an arrow through his skull."

_Charming as always._

Max slightly relaxed, but Jonathan could tell he was not fully appeased.

"Alec, broke my jaw and nearly succeeded in ripping my throat out when we were locked in that lovely cell together. Believe me, he can protect you. Besides, you wouldn't be here in this room if you didn't have some curiosity about what I can teach you." Jonathan said, making his muscles relax to appear less threatening.

Alec set the arrow aside, picking up another to apply his stele too.

Max rolled his eyes, but handed over the weapon.

The next hour was spent running his own body through every form and attack he could recall being taught in Edom, explaining each move.

"So why does it have the red gem at the top?" Max asked towards the end of the lesson.

Jonathan grinned broadly, tapping the gem with a finger just because he could. "This is what deflects any demonic powers from the Nephilim carrying it. You can't be touched by any of the normal demonic energies if you hold this weapon. Greater Demons still pose a risk, but all of the lesser ones will be fairly useless in their plight to attack the bearer of this weapon."

Max's entire face lit up, at some point during the lesson he had relaxed enough to listen fully rather than retaining the constant vigilance although he still kept his dagger in his belt rather than its normal sheath by his ankle. "So I'm unstoppable."

"That gem breaks or runs out of energy, you lose your temporary invulnerability. Temporary, Max." Alec stated from his side of the room. "That light goes out, you have nothing but a chunk of steel."

Max rolled his eyes. "Buzzkill."

Jonathan grinned.

Max grinned back.

"So how come you know all the forms if you were a demon anyway?" Max asked, handed the skeptron to Jonathan to pick up a practice seraph blade.

Jonathan glanced towards Alec briefly, seeing no response from the dark haired man he turned back to Max. "Mother wanted me to learn every available weapon within Edom. As part Shadowhunter I could hold a skeptron even if it burned me, since it didn't kill me, I was made to learn it."

Bright red hair caught his eye.

_Clary._

"Hey guys, Izzy said for us to come down here until Jace gets done with some mission stuff." Clary said as she and Simon walked in. "Who wants to go hand to hand?"

"Clary and Jonathan. Simon work with Max." Alec ordered from his spot, now with his laptop open working on Institute business.

"Aww come on. You never practice with me. You knocked me out once and refuse to train with me anymore. Instead you have your newest_ boyfriend_ training me." Whined Max, dropping his shoulders and turning to glare at Alec.

Jonathan found himself chuckling at that.

"See it's true!" Max shouted.

Jonathan stopped laughing, but found himself still holding back a grin.

Alec set aside his laptop, clicking a few more buttons before standing up, bow in his hands. "Max, Jonathan and I are not dating for one. Also, it's not nice to assume you understand people's relationship status."

Max for his benefit appeared mildly reprimanded and nervous, suddenly inching away from both Alec and Jonathan towards Clary and Simon.

"Alright Max, you and Simon against me. Let's go." Alec approached them with the silver bow and nothing else.

Jonathan spun the skeptron around in a large circle, watching the red crystal at the top arc through the air. "You sure about that, oh pure one?" He said sardonically.

"Heh, you want me to use vamp speed?" Simon questioned.

Alec drew some runes on the bow to further strengthen it from breaking. "Give me whatever you got Simon. I'm curious what Jace has been training you. Max, this will be good practice for how to work with Downworlders and an insight into vampire speed."

Ten minutes later and Jonathan was rather impressed. Simon had used his vampire speed time and time again and he had yet to land a blow on Alec. He could see the strain was starting to take its toll though, Alec was covered in sweat now. Max had stayed at the edges at first, but quickly picked up the rhythm of Simon's attacks and had been using it to his advantage to get under Alec's guard.

"I'm starting to think you might be worse than Jace. At least he jokes around with us." Simon said into the silence panting from the exertion. "You're just a stick in the mud."

Alec just raised an eyebrow, but remained silent. Simon and Max did their joint attack again. Jonathan moved with them this time, swiftly bringing the skeptron around in an arc, slamming it into Alec's side. He watched the weapon connect sending Alec a few feet before crashing into the ground with a groan.

Jonathan spun the skeptron to rest upright in his arms. "That's why you don't drop your guard." He paused before smirking at Alec as he coughed, touching his side and wincing. "I didn't break anything did I? Would have been a pity having to rebuild all that bone."

Alec shot him a death glare. "Maybe if someone…" he winced at the pain from the ribs. "..had better control."

"Perfect control. You're not dead."

"Jonathan, stop. Come on this is training. What is wrong with you?" Clary said coming between them.

_Just getting even for an old attack. Testing limits. Comradery building._

Jonathan shrugged. "Lacking sunshine, it gets terribly dreary in the Silent City. Promotes depression I believe."

Clary appeared taken aback. "Do you want to go outside and visit the city on something other than a mission?" She asked.

"Maybe if he didn't try to kill my brother." Max snapped.

Alec finished writing the Iratze over his side. "Max, he was right. I should have been prepared for any attack regardless of training or not." He carefully stretched his arm over his head and took a deep breathe testing the damage and healing, before heading towards his laptop and quiver.

"How about we all go to the Hunter's Moon tonight? I've got a gig there and I was already bringing Clary, Izzy and Jace." Simon offered towards Jonathan.

Alec picked up his laptop, swinging the quiver onto his back. "That's a horrible idea."

"Oh, you are coming with. Maryse would never let me outside the Institute without someone to watch over me." Jonathan lightly said.

"Then get a warlock to stick bells on you." Simon said.

Max snickered, even Clary smiled.

_You are supposed to be on my side, sister._

"If you come, I'll get Magnus to attend, bells included." Jonathan said.

Alec stared at him stunned for a moment, mouth pressed into a thin line, before looking up at the ceiling. "That's a worse idea."

Jonathan knew the bribe had worked regardless.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O


	5. Chapter 5

**Dark Stained Soul**

**Chapter Five**

By: Evey

_The bribe should have worked._

Alec was engaged to that shiny warlock prior to Edom, it was why he had returned to Edom. The dark haired man had not said a word about that having ended.

_Why didn't it work?_

Any of the others, including his sister, would have jumped on the chance to demean him further.

Jonathan growled to himself pacing the room the Institute had assigned him for his stay while he assisted with Edom cleanup. It had been his one chance at a semblance of freedom before the Clave would eventually decide upon his death.

He only wanted one evening to feel truly free again. Was that so hard to ask? Attempt to create bonds, that's what the Silent Brother had told him. Create bonds, _relationships_, with people to lead a normal short life before the Clave undoubtedly would kill him.

_Alec's bond sucks. Idiot won't even let me leave. I only broke several ribs, it wasn't even that bad an injury. It's not like I tried to kill him._

Clary stuck her head into his room. "Hey, Jonathan. Sorry, Alec can be a bit uptight about rules sometimes. Plus, I don't think breaking his ribs helped your case either. Maybe next time wait until after he gives the approval before decimating him in the training room." She held up a bottle of something amber colored, waving it slightly. "I brought treats."

_I would have preferred hot chocolate._

"Come in, sister." He pulled a chair out for her by the desk.

Clary shook her head, bright red hair waving slightly. "Nope, this has to be another sibling bonding ritual if you are stuck in the Institute. We sit on the floor and drink from dixie cups."

_What the hell is a dixie cup?_

Jonathan just shook his head slightly, smiling at her enthusiasm to bridge their sibling bond, before sitting on the carpet in the middle of the room as requested.

Clary sat down across from him pulling out two small paper cups and filling them with the amber liquid, handing one to him.

"To us." She said.

"To us." Jonathan returned.

Jonathan tapped the paper cups together before downing the small shot of alcohol, enjoying the slight burn it provided.

"So what was Alec's reasoning for not approving your mission to the bar tonight?" She grinned downing her own cup.

"I believe the terms, wasteful use of resources, inefficient application of my time spent here, and certain bar fight with costs applied to the Institute were all in that lovely discussion in his office."

Clary snickered. "I could see the bar fight."

"Personally, I believe Alec would be the one to start the fight." Jonathan informed her.

"Nah, that's Jace's department. Trouble is his middle name." Clary chuckled slightly sadly.

"Indeed. I haven't seen you two together very much." Jonathan softly pressed.

He despised any pain Clary felt, felt it was his job to make it better. But relationships were something he understood from an outside perspective and how to manipulate. Learning how to treat Clary as a human being had proven an interesting activity while he stayed here. She had kept whatever fight was going on between Jace and herself to herself and Jonathan frankly had more interesting topics to discuss with her than the blonde, still he would punch Jace if he learned he had intentionally hurt Clary in any way.

Jonathan vaguely wondered if this continued fight had something to do with Alec's time spent in the cell. Jace's reactions had been both startling and amusing to watch. Still that was weeks ago, Clary should have been able to fix it by now.

"_Can't fix everything."_

That internal voice sounded suspiciously like Alec during one of his saner moments in the cell, they had sat beside each other for hours speaking quietly while he had carved that rune into his arm in an attempt to stave off the encroaching magic.

_Wasted effort._

Clary downed her cup, setting it aside. "Yeah, what's going on with you and Alec anyway? The comment Max said." She shot back instead with a wry smile.

Jonathan smiled derisively. "Oh dear sister, Alec and I are bonded. Just as you and I are bonded. The Silent Brothers informed me I need to create bonds in this world to make life worthwhile. There will always be a bond there, an understanding. I believe the term is called friendship. But he was correct, we are definitely not lovers." He informed her.

Clary actually looked taken aback.

"You two spend an awful lot of time together." She said sipping at her next drink.

_Comes with the territory of sharing secrets._

Jonathan found his mouth twisting into a wry smile. "I do believe him ordering my every move in this fancy cell has something to do with that." Jonathan huffed out a laugh.

"Jonathan, the Institute isn't a cell." Clary reached out holding his hand in hers.

The warmth felt strange, foreign as it always did when he came in contact with a person that wasn't about to end in violence and blood.

Simon stuck his head in the room. "Oh good. Jace sent me to find you. Maryse has a mission for us. Jonathan included. Apparently Alec and Izzy are already out, so no more unwind night."

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The first drops of the incoming rainstorm splattered across the pavement, sprawling in a quick sheet Alec could see coming down the block.

_Great, limited visibility._

He turned back towards the lithe form a few feet away dressed in a black dress and usual high heels.

How Izzy managed to fight well in a dress and high heels Alec never could figure out. It always bugged him that she would rather wear skin tight clothing and impractical shoes rather than be fully prepared for a mission.

_Should wear combat boots for traction at least._

The rain sheet slammed into them, drenching through his dark jeans and sticking his leather jacket to him quickly, weighing everything down.

Izzy finished off the last demon they had engaged with her whip coiling it back into her bracelet.

He eyed the demons body, licking his lips unconsciously.

_Just a taste would take the edge back off._

She strode over to Alec hardly acknowledging the sheeting rain. Her outfit appeared unaffected clinging to her skin the same as it had when dry.

Alec shifted his quiver on his back, feeling the rain water already weighing it down.

"That's one den down. Think the demons will suspect something as the teams start picking off the locations?" Izzy called through the rain.

Alec shrugged one shoulder. He could feel the energy from the chrysalis under his skin like a second sense.

He blinked letting the red wash across his vision for a moment, when he opened his eyes it was gone.

"That way. Next nest." Alec said pointing down the street.

"You know, you and Jonathan have an uncanny ability to track demon nests. You keep working like this you'll finally take Jace's spot as best shadowhunter in New York." Izzy commented lightly.

_Probably because we have a connection to Edom, past and present._

"Hmm. Yeah, Jace and Jonathan need to get over their enmity." He replied blandly.

"You're aiming far too high, Alec. Jace killed Jonathan. I don't think anyone can forgive a person for that. I don't understand why you two are even friends." Izzy responded, walking through the rain with him.

_She's looking for something._

Alec shifted the bow on his back, the rain making it slide uncomfortably. "Edom."

_And dragging me from that chrysalis along with a host of other infractions._

Izzy snorted at that.

"I don't have to explain why I'm friends with him Izzy, just that I am." Alec replied, voice harder.

"Just trying to understand. Simon tells me it's like watching the reverse of when Clary first entered the Shadowworld." Izzy informed him, hair now sticking to her scalp from the rain.

"A train wreck." Alec deadpanned.

"Come on Alec. Clary showed herself to be a decent Shadowhunter and took down Valentine. Give her a break. You can't keep holding her over Jace." Izzy said rather defensively.

"She was, still is. I have never trusted her decision making. It just gets people killed." He itched at his arm, the demon ichor behind them was distracting.

_Push it away. Seven weeks, body should replenish your own angelic blood._

If he was honest with himself he was probably still at week eight on the recovery spectrum, resetting every time he let the remnants of the chrysalis sink a little deeper, seeking out the demon ichor rather than trying to reactivate the bond between him and Jace.

_Maybe I should have Jonathan draw that blood replenishment rune on me again._

He shoved the thought away, the after effects of that rune had been abysmal and required far, far too much blood and death.

_Could go to Jace._

Yeah, because that would end in another fight and Jace seemed confused enough by what their bond had turned into. The flashing thought of Jace pushing him away and pulling him in floated through his mind. No, he was not touching Jace again.

_Keeps happening._

He ignored that nasty internal voice, rubbing at the parabati rune where it remained heating slowly before sending a flicker of emotion through his bloodstream, something warm coiling through his body pushing the red flickers back.

"You're brooding." Izzy said jolting him out of his thoughts.

"I'm not brooding." Alec kept his voice even.

"Totally brooding, Broody mc-broodster." Izzy taunted her brother.

Alec rolled his eyes, blinking away the rainwater the moment he did.

His phone went off, it was the Institute calling. He needed to swipe at it a couple times due to the heavy rain before Alec finally answered the incoming call. "Alexander Lightwood, speaking."

"Max's team just called. The team is trapped with Shax demons. It's a large nest." Maryse's normally controlled voice snapped through the phone, pulling him to a halt.

"Where?" Alec demanded.

A cold jolt of fear for Max when down his spine that he quickly dismissed. He had made the decision months ago to start putting Max on missions due to his high scores on the practical exams.

She informed him. It wasn't far from them and was probably the reason she was calling them, their team was the closest to the required location.

Alec waved at Izzy to follow him and broke into a jog towards the location, Izzy following.

"How many on the team?" Alec inquired enroute. Adrenaline starting to pour into his bloodstream, he felt the red power respond twisting alongside the spike of adrenaline.

"Six. Four male. Two female personnel. All adults but Max." Maryse's voice shook on the last phrase.

"Izzy and I are enroute." He said before hanging up and filling Izzy in on the way through the torrent of rain.

Arriving at the location was pure chaos. The Shax demons were tearing apart one of the shadowhunters bodies preparing the screaming shadowhunter for their demonic eggs.

Alec fired off an array of arrows into the fray. Heard Izzy's whip snap around another demon with a _hiss._

_Where's Max?_

He clinically noted the shadowhunter on the ground would not make it. Intestines strewn across the ground and red blood coating the ground.

One of the demons was dragging an unconscious female form back towards the nest. He could see the cut open abdomen from where he stood oozing the black ichor the demons had deposited.

_Crap._

Alec lined up the bow on the shadowhunter, taking a breath, the red warped across his vision but never impeded it as always.

He let the arrow fly, impaling the shadowhunter in the heart. The demons dragging the body screeched their distain and rage. Those eggs would never hatch now the body was deceased.

"Alec!" Izzy's terror filled voice had him running towards where she stood now looking into a pit the demons had created for their nest.

Below them four shadowhunters faced off against the swarm of Shax demons, three with their backs facing each other, little Max in the center throwing daggers at the demons.

From his vantage point Alec easily started to pick off the demons below with his arrows, trusting Izzy to keep them off his back. The ground below was littered in paper and trash, broken pipes everywhere from where the demon venom and ichor had melted it.

"Four left." He heard Izzy inform him about the situation behind him that she was protecting.

_There's too many._

The rain was making it difficult to aim. He kept firing arrows into the fray below until his hand closed on empty air behind him.

_Quiver's empty. Damnit._

"Going in." He informed Izzy before drawing his seraph blade, activating fortitude, speed, and agility again before launching himself into the fray. Alec heard Izzy's shout but was already in the air.

Halfway through the jump he saw the dark haired shadowhunter protecting Max's back drop as one of the demons managed to get under their guard impaling them on rows of teeth.

_No._

Red flashed through his vision, his control slipped as he hit the ground. The demons near the fallen shadowhunter, himself and Max melted. The shadowhunter was screaming in pain as his leg caved under him, twisting from the wound and the uncontrolled power that had swept through the limb.

_Control it._

He heard a scream, realized too late that the scream was from another shadowhunter.

Spinning to replace the fallen shadowhunter, he started to draw a rune on the ground.

_This better work._

"Max! You better activate your shield of fire rune now!" He shouted as he completed the rune. Could see from the corner of his eye the fallen shadowhunter, stop pulling on the teeth that had impaled him and start to draw the rune first on himself and then on his comrades ankles.

Fire burst from the rune spreading across the debris slowly, fighting for life in the rain.

Alec grabbed a dagger from his belt throwing it towards one of the broken pipes he had noticed earlier. It struck but didn't give him the desired result.

_Damnit._

A quick glance behind him showed a terrified Max and the other two shadowhunters still fighting, the fallen one now in their center trying to pull the teeth out of his side enough to draw the required Iratze, he also had severe burns along his leg.

He glanced up to ensure Izzy was still at the top of the pit her silver whip slicing through the pouring rain sending a spray of water he could make out from where he stood.

"Close ranks!" He snapped to the others before dashing over to that pipe.

He needed to impale three demons just to get to that pipe, slamming into it and drawing the heat rune several times before being forced away by the swarm of demons now turned towards him sensing the weakest link now that he was no longer part of the group.

He could see the traces of the demons magic pulling his attention, all he had to do was reach out and take it, his parabati rune gave an annoyed pulse.

_You are trying to get better. You have your soul now._

He started to draw the protection from fire rune over his wrist as quickly as he could, needing to stop twice to use his seraph blade when demons drew to close. He never finished the rune.

The explosion from the pipe followed by the imminent fireball that engulfed the entire area in an inferno threw him to the ground, knocking the wind out of him in a whoosh of air.

Fire burned through his skin spreading across the demons nest in a flash, the rain doing nothing to slow the explosion of hot air and flames.

He could not care anymore, he crawled over to one of the demons bodies dropping his right arm in the ichor.

_Jace forgive me._

The remnants responded instantly drawing the power from the ichor into him knitting his skin back together, he could feel the soul charm Magnus had given him burning into his chest as it always did when he did this.

_It won't leave a mark._

"Alec!" Izzy was hauling him up away from the ichor. "Can you walk?" Her voice sounded muffled and distorted. She was scanning him over for injuries.

Between the fireball, rain, and muck Alec doubted she could make out much.

His vision swam as he stood up still staring at the demon's body. The red magic curled inside him locked in a war with the warm pulse of the parabati rune.

The fact he was standing was enough for Izzy, she moved away to gather an unconscious Max up.

"Alec!" Izzy yelled insistantly.

_Control it._

He turned away from the body searching for the others. Izzy held the unconscious Max, the shadowhunter that had been impaled had finally managed to draw an Iratze and was being held up by the blonde female. The last shadowhunter that had been standing now lay still, a piece of rubble straight through his head from the blast.

Alec closed his eyes briefly, taking a breath. Red sparked across his vision making him want to annihilate everything. That or bury himself into Jace's soul again.

"Institute now. Izzy take point. I'll call for the medics to meet us halfway." Alec shook his arm out, itching at it.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

_Stupid damned rain._

The thought zapped through Jace's head a second before the rusted fire escape rung he was climbing up gave out throwing him off balance for a moment. Recovering, he quickly traversed to the top before leaping towards the next platform.

"I saw that." Jonathan snickered from below him.

_Stupid damned ex-demon._

"You're welcome to take the lead." Jace called back.

"I'm good." Jonathan said.

"Is this going to make hunting this demon nest easier?" Simon asked when they all reached the top of the building.

"Depends." Jace replied, heading to the opposite side of the building peering down at the street searching for the demon they had been following.

_There._

"On what?" Simon inquired.

The demon scuttled between the oblivious crowds of people, carrying something tucked under its arm.

"If it's the fire breathing kind or not." Clary replied.

"There's fire breathing demons? Do they look like dragons?" Simon asked, pulling his sweatshirt hood up in an attempt to stave off the rain.

"No, they spit oil at you first. Then ignite you. They look like smoky lizards." Johnathan replied eyeing Simon with something akin to contempt.

Something tugged at Jace's memory at that comment.

He rubbed at his parabati rune as it gave a strange pulse. It did that occasionally and Jace had no idea why. It did not feel like the pulse and burn when Alec's soul was inside it, but something different.

The demon took a right into a store marked with an advertisement for a psychic.

_Great. A warlock._

"I think we have a warlock working with the demons." Jace announced to the others, pointing towards the building.

"Oh. I know her. She loves demons. Particularly loves ones with several limbs and large appendages." Jonathan informed the others.

_I didn't need to know that._

Clary and Simon both gave Jonathan mixed looks of revulsion, while Jace dropped down to the street below.

The others landed beside him a moment later in a light splash.

"I can go talk to her. I can bring Simon with me so long as he loses the hoodie. She won't suspect a vampire as much. She enjoys things that can suck." Jonathan commented easily.

"Yeah, go talk. Clary and I will get in from the back, see what's going on in there." Jace told him.

It should not be getting easier to work with the maniac, but strangely it was.

He clenched his fist and ran through the cycle of fingers. It felt different this time, with a start he realized it was because he did not actually feel wary of Jonathan tonight.

Jace made a conscious effort to keep a watchful eye on Jonathan now. He disliked the thought that his guard had dropped around the psycho even for a moment.

"I'm not giving up my hoodie. This is a dragon ball Z hoodie." Simon announced it like that was supposed to mean something important.

"Lose the hoodie. I'm sure you can put it under damages incurred on the report." Jace told Simon pushing his blonde hair out of his face where the torrential downpour had pushed it.

Simon grumbled but removed his hoodie, revealing the soaked tshirt underneath with the words "Dragon Ball Z" stretched across the front.

"That is not much better." Jonathan deadpanned.

"He looks fine." Clary said.

Jace found himself agreeing with Jonathan, before turning the small grin that was forming back into a frown at the red headed male.

Jonathan checked over his own appearance once. "Come on bloodsucker." Jonathan said starting across the street not bothering to wait for Simon.

Jace watched a very pale Simon walk with Jonathan across the street. Simon turned once to look back at Jace and Clary flipping them the bird to show exactly how much he disliked this idea.

_It's a good idea._

Jace and Clary leaped back up the buildings to take a more roundabout way to the back. His leather jacket was sticking to his skin uncomfortably, even his boots were soaked in the water.

He gave a nod to Clary when they reached the point to drop down to the buildings backdoor, before dropping down splashing in a puddle of water.

Jace froze, seraph blade deactivated but clutched in his hand.

The door remained shut, no raging demons or angry warlocks came out.

Clary landed in the water a second later, splashing water over his pants in a cold slosh.

_Thanks for that._

He moved over to the door, checking for fire alarms and traps, beginning to draw the correct runes while Clary disabled the fire alarm.

_At least after the breakup we can still work together smoothly._

Once complete, she stepped back behind him as he carefully pushed the door open.

He waited a beat before lunging inside.

Leaving the torrential rain came as a mild shock. So did the scent of rotting meat.

"Jace do we have a plan B?" Clary whispered.

_No, that's usually Alec's job. Damnit._

"Not exactly." He replied quietly.

They moved quietly through the room, Jace peered at some of the bottles and cages that all seemed to be housing body parts of animals and humans. He froze as something caught his eye.

_That's not good._

There was a shelf filled with what appeared to be warlock marks. Hunting warlocks had been strictly banned. Worse this mission just became a lot more complicated due to needing to pull Magnus in.

Jace felt uncomfortable working with Magnus, especially since Alec had his soul back and things were confusing enough there without a third party shoving their nose where it should not.

"Jace, there's a shelf here of vampire teeth." Clary whispered.

"Yeah, I think this particular warlock is going to be the mean kill on sight type." Jace informed her.

There was a chirp to Jace's right, he spun throwing his dagger at the sound where it impaled the small demon they had been tracking.

Something clattered to the ground.

Clary shown her witchlight on it, it was a red gem about the size of his fist. It seemed to be swirling with something inside gently.

"What is it?" Clary asked.

_No idea._

"Nothing good." Jace said.

He grabbed one of the empty jars before nudging the gem into it with his dagger. Sealing the small jar and pocketing it before motioning for Clary to check the next room.

They could hear low voices above them speaking, one masculine and the other softer, clearly female.

Jace felt a chill go down his spine on the next room. It was filled entirely with cages, all with demons trapped within them, every demon seemed to be asleep. Either from a spell or a drug Jace didn't know nor care.

There was the sound of furniture sliding quickly across the floor before the distinct sound of something massive and metal hit the floor hard.

_Shit, this was not a good idea._

Jace broke into a run heading for the stairs he could see, banking on Clary following him.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Jace found Simon entrapped in some kind of metal cage that had clearly fallen from the ceiling.

Jonathan was crawling out from under another metal contraption, his leg torn and shredded by the metal that had sliced through his leg.

The warlock screamed something in another language before she reached up towards the ceiling. Jace didn't wait, he kicked off the floor activating his agility and speed runes as he rolled. He felt the whoosh of the metal as is slammed down behind him barely missing him.

_Shit._

Clary's sunlight rune blasted by his head leaving bright spots dancing in his eyes. He shook his head trying to clear it, felt Clary rush by him.

By the time he managed to see again, the warlock had thrown several balls of energy at him and Clary, all of which he managed to dodge due to her being blinded by Clary's direct sunlight rune to her face.

That idea didn't last long as he realized both he and Clary were standing in the middle of a massive symbol etched into the floor.

Simon was clearly screaming at them something, but no sound emitted from his mouth.

"This shall be precious. Two angel blooded ones ripe for me." She held an orb in her hands that she was pulling magic from and throwing it towards them forcing both himself and Clary to retreat as it slammed into the floor before them.

The symbol at their feet ignited with flames.

_Fucking hell!_

He leapt one way as Clary leapt the other, both just managing to clear the symbol as the flames completed. The warlock screamed her rage. Her scream cut out.

Jace looked up from where he had landed, seeing Jonathan standing behind the warlock, seraph blade straight through her heart.

"Fucking hell move! She's killing everything for the demons ritual for the void!" Simon screamed from his cage. He stopped looking confused for a moment before relief flew across his face. "Thank G-, I can talk again."

Jace found one corner of his mouth turning up at Simon.

"Well, that went smoothly." Jonathan said, dropping the body carelessly and stepping over it, retrieving the orb she had dropped. He walked over to Jace before shoving it into his chest. "Take that to Magnus."

Clary scuffed the marks around Simon's cage with her boots before she lifted the metal contraption off of Simon slowly, he crawled out from under it quickly before she dropped it back down with a thud.

Jace glanced down at the red orb, it felt warm in his hand. "You know what this is?" He queried towards Johnathan.

Jonathan glanced over from the massive symbol etched into the floor. "Several warlocks powers all siphoned into a magical package of doom and destruction." He responded with a slight shrug.

O – O – O – O – O – O

After dropping off the orb at Magnus's with a confirmation that the warlock had killed seven of her kind to create the orb, the team returned home.

Walking in the door, Jace was instantly accosted by Izzy. She threw her arms around him in a sob saying something unintelligible.

"Max had a bad mission. Myself and Izzy got to him in time. He's in the infirmary." Alec said as he approached them. He looked terrible, the sleeve of his leather jacket was completely gone appearing like it had been torn off revealing the entirety of the Edom stained arm which appeared bright black, demon ichor still stuck to places on his jacket and pants that the torrential downpour outside could not rinse off.

_No._

"What happened?" Jace demanded as Izzy pulled back from him. She looked a lot better physically, no major marks and her clothing was all intact, her face was puffy from crying though.

"Mission went south. They lost three others before Izzy and I got the situation under control." Alec turned to head back towards the infirmary.

_Damnit._

Simon, Clary, and Jonathan headed towards the Ops Center to perform their mission report and get cleaned up.

Jace made his way with Izzy and Alec to the infirmary. Max thankfully wasn't too banged up, a head wound that the doctors wanted to keep him for overnight due to his past history, and a ton of scratches and some mild poisoning that he would recover from within a day or two. But the part that made Jace's stomach plummet was the wide-eyed, blank look Max held.

_Shock._

Probably his first time witnessing death in the field. Hearing about it, knowing about it, none of it compared to seeing it happen before you.

Max noticed Jace with a start, his face twisting up as he tried to hold back tears suddenly.

"Jace, I'm sorry. I lost it. The demons took it." Max cried.

_Huh?_

Jace came and sat down next to Max.

"Hey it's ok. What did they take?" Jace asked.

"The weapon. The Skeptron. I don't know why but they took it." Max said.

_Ok, that's odd._

"Hey, there are plenty of other weapons out there. A weapon is a weapon. All you need is a weapon in your hands and a strategy to win. Don't worry about the hunk of metal." Jace calmly told him, giving him a hug.

"What type of demon was it?" Alec asked standing at the foot of the bed.

"Um…something small. Looked sort of like a lizard, I felt the fur on it, it was fast, chirped alot." Max said.

Jace glanced over at Alec to see if he could make sense of the description. Alec shrugged, shaking his head slightly.

"Well, we found a small furry demon with a red gem on our mission to warlock hell. Think it might be the same?" Jace spoke his thoughts out loud as he pulled the container out.

Alec shifted to lean over him to look at the red crystal, the body heat distracting Jace for a moment.

"What would the demons want with a skeptron gem?" Izzy questioned from her side of the bed. "All it does is absorb Edom magic."

"We have no idea what that gem is." Alec stated. "One of you can return to Magnus's to have him examine it or give it to one of our resident warlocks to inspect." He gave the order easily before straightening back up.

_Resident warlock it is. I'm not going out in that wet crap again._

"I'm going to go give Mom the report. Max feel better." Alec said before heading out quickly.

His rune burned something through his system, the same burn he felt every few days. Twice today.

_Damnit. You're avoiding me again._

"Hey, Jace. Can you show me how to apply the heat rune to melt the demons?" Max inquired leaning back in his pillows looking like he really wanted to sleep but adrenaline and shock was keeping him awake.

Jace exchanged a confused look with Izzy. "Uh. There is no way to use the heat rune on your body. You know it's only used for objects and non-living beings. Unless you want to torture someone."

"Alec did it. I'll just ask him." Max said tiredly, snuggling further into the bed as a nurse came over to check him over again.

_That happened before._

"Alright, Max. You get some rest. If you need anything just holler for Izzy or I." Jace patted him on the shoulder before going in search of Alec.

He was not hard to find, still in the office with Maryse now discussing a new strategy when Jace pushed the door open.

"You could send in thirty shadowhunters. The sheer number of demons at the central point would be enormous. They'll guard that with everything they have. We'll either need to enlist the warlocks' assistance or send in our best stealth crew." Alec was saying when Jace walked in.

"I was thinking about sending you." Maryse stated simply. "You understand range, you survived Edom, and you already know what your objective is."

_Like hell he's going in there solo._

Jace saw Alec's hands tighten behind his back where he stood. "I had help. Jonathan kept me alive. If it wasn't for him, I would not have even made it across the plains of Edom."

"You can't send just one person in there. That's a suicide mission." Jace blurted from his spot at the door.

Maryse sent Jace a stern, silent look. "You need to wait outside, Jace." She said sternly.

"You send him in there, he'll come back as a demon. You want us to go through that chase again?" Jace snapped at her, his hands coming down on her desk with a smack. Alec stiffened beside him.

"Jace." Alec said warningly.

Jace whirled on him, their eyes connecting in a clash. "You, don't get to talk."

"Jace, Alec will not be going in alone. We are discussing strategy on who to send. We've discussed Blitzkrieging this as well. Now please exit my office until I call you." Maryse's voice had steeled into something hard and immovable.

Sufficiently reprimanded Jace turned to exit the room, fists clenched at his sides.

He fumed outside but the longer he waited the more he realized he really just wanted Alec alone to talk. He didn't even know how to begin the conversation, but it needed to happen.

It was not long after he decided that before Alec exited the office.

Jace looked up from where he had been leaning against the wall.

Alec stood across from him, arms crossed expression hard.

"What the hell was that about?" Alec asked sharply.

Jace pushed off the wall. "Come on. Let's go talk in my room." He said it quietly, turning his head away from Alec, suddenly feeling a sharpness behind his eyes.

Jace hated the surprise he felt when Alec followed him without comment.

Once in his room, he set the container with the red gem on the bedside table. Ignoring Alec's slight frown that he had not dropped it off with a warlock yet.

Jace sat down on the bed, patting the spot beside him.

After a moment, Alec left the door he had remained near to sit down beside Jace.

Jace could hear the storm raging outside, the rain hitting the window harshly in large sheets.

"I'm glad you blasted the demon off Max." Jace said quietly into the room.

Alec let out a shuddering breath beside him, before reaching out gripping Jace's hand tightly, grinding the bones together.

Jace did not complain about the pain, turning slightly to search Alec's face. Alec turned away, not meeting his gaze.

_Stop running from me._

He reached out a hand to turn Alec's face to him. He could see a flicker of surprise and wariness in Alec when he gently ran his fingers across Alec's cheek, sweeping his hand down to Alec's shoulder squeezing slightly over the damp skin.

Alec watched him quietly, but the pressure on Jace's hand increased.

"How can I tear this out of you?" Jace whispered, running his hand down Alec's arm in the familiar gesture.

"Jace…" Alec said.

"Damnit, Alec." Jace shook his head, hand traveling back up Alec's chest to squeeze his shoulder. "We gave each other our souls. And you are killing yourself over this addiction."

_You gave me your body. You gave me your heart ages ago I just did not realize._

"You think I don't know that?" Alec asked, the usual harshness was gone, replaced with a silent exhaustion Jace could hear in his voice.

Jace felt his brow creasing at the exhaustion in Alec's voice.

"I control it." Alec murmured.

_Like hell you do._

Jace leaned back allowing Alec his space. He rubbed a hand across his face, sighing. "You know I won't want to be alive if you die, right? Shared soul. What you are doing affects me too." Jace blandly stated, watching Alec out of the corner of his eye.

Alec grasped the pendant soul charm laying on his chest, pulling it out of his shirt, it glinted in the room's low lighting. "This keeps them separated." Alec told him.

_Us or something else?_

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jace asked just barely managing to keep the irritation out of his voice.

Alec didn't hide secrets from him.

_Yeah right, he hid his feelings for you for years, hid his pain enough that you couldn't even tell he was about to commit suicide. Hid his plan to travel to Edom. Hid how well he understands Jonathan and not you._

Jace closed his eyes against the internal reprimand to himself.

When Jace's eyes fell closed, Alec spoke. "The parabati bond and the remnants from the chrysalis." Alec said quietly, a barely there shake to his voice.

Jace felt his heart clench at that sound.

_Fear. Alec was afraid of his reaction._

Jace ran his hand along the black lines on Alec's arm slowly, goosebumps had broken out on Alec's flesh from the soaked clothing they both still wore.

He heard the storm send a gust of rain into the window harshly.

"Alec, you need to separate it. If we need to we can have Magnus perform the same ritual on you he did before." Jace proposed.

Jace let the suggestion hang in the air, watching Alec's face which had twisted into conflict.

"I control it." Alec snapped a moment later.

_Damnit. Why can't you let it go?_

Alec moved to get up, Jace shot his hand out stilling Alec.

He saw Alec swallow before allowing Jace to pull him back to sit down on the bed.

"Jace…?"

"Our souls are tied together. I can't watch you do this to yourself, to us." Jace knew his voice was nearing begging, shook his head to clear the sharpness behind his eyes.

Alec's impassive mask remained.

Jace suddenly hated it, felt his jaw clench. Hated that Alec needed that control, that need to constantly put up a barrier between himself and even his own parabati.

_I'm going to fucking break your control._

"Jace, if it was not for the demon ichor I would have destroyed you." Alec said impassively.

_No, you'd rather just become a demon than face me._

Jace did not voice the acerbic comment, instead leaning the small distance to brush his mouth against Alec, surprising even himself with the gentle caress. Watching as Alec's eyes fell shut before closing his own, deepening the kiss.

Jace pulled back slightly, letting his mouth brush Alec's when he spoke. "Tell me how you control it when you hunt demons for their power?" He said softly, Jace felt the jolt run through Alec at the question.

"I control it..." Alec whispered into his mouth, it was starting to sound like a mantra.

Jace slanted their mouths together, trying to convey the hurt he was feeling. Pain watching his parabati ruin himself slowly all over again.

He felt Alec's hands come up to slowly touch his shoulders before running down his sides pushing the wet, leather jacket aside. Jace could feel Alec's hands shaking.

"You aren't going to hurt me, Alec." Jace informed him softly.

Alec scoffed slightly. "You have no idea."

Jace reached out pushing the torn jacket from Alec's shoulders, tugging at the shirt underneath. "Tell me what you need me to do to you for you to let it go." Jace said quietly as he undressed him.

"I don't need anything, Jace." Alec informed him sounding distant and allowing Jace to tug the wet clothing from his upper body.

"You need me." Jace responded.

_Stop struggling with me._

Jace reached out through their bond intentionally pushing his desire into it.

Alec hunched forward. "Fuuck." Alec hissed out.

Jace smiled slightly at the sound letting his hands wander across Alec's chest.

O – O – O – O – O – O

The moment the heat from the parabati rune hit his system Alec felt his control nearly shatter. That white hot pulse returning through the rune pushing the red sparking in his vision to the side.

_He wanted him._

Alec felt something shift in the way Jace was running his hands across his body. It reminded him of when Jace had been inside him, it had been there as well – a feeling he did not want to name and could not define.

"Jace?"

Jace just leaned forward kissing his shoulder slowly moving up his neck, holding him in place with one hand at Alec's jaw.

"This. Us. Isn't supposed to be a struggle." Jace murmured into his neck sending trails of heat down his body.

_It has to be._

Alec could not fathom not fighting this feeling. He had lived in fear of Jace ever discovering his feelings and when he had Jace had brushed it off as if it was nothing. This new shift in their relationship had left Alec scrambling for a solid purchase, a barrier to keep up. For years he had tried to keep himself at a distance, only for it to completely crumble under Edom's power. That distance had zapped to nothing for weeks the majority of his soul interlocked with Jace's in a warm pulse and burn that he knew if he ever fully gave into would burn him up and never leave.

The thought of Jace not accepting that, Alec was uncertain he could survive that rejection without giving in to that red power instead.

"Jace…" Alec tried to push a warning into his voice, it came out hushed.

Jace trailed open mouthed kisses along his chest, dropping lower across Alec's flat abdominal muscles.

_Fuck, just give in to the feeling for a moment, then leave._

Alec dropped his head back as the sensations sparked through his system.

Heat was pooling low, Alec snapped a hand out to Jace's shoulder to stop him when he moved to drop lower.

"Jace…stop…"

Alec brought his head up to look down at Jace, who was peering up at him with a dark smolder, lips turned into a small wry smile.

"You sure about that?" Jace asked, rubbing his jaw across Alec's length over his rain soaked pants.

Heat moved through his veins at Jace's look, the same moment red sparked in his vision, he pushed it away with a thought. Alec stared into that smolder a few beats longer.

_Fuck. He could never deny Jace anything._

He dropped his head back letting his body fall fully on the bed.

"Take your clothes off. They're soaked." Jace told him rubbing his head against Alec's ab muscles in a small twist, before peering back up at him.

Alec searched Jace's eyes seeking the challenge he expected to find there, needed to find there. It wasn't, just a smoldering heat shifting with another emotion hidden in Jace's eyes.

"You first." Alec challenged.

After all the years of Jace pushing him around he wasn't bending to this easily, he needed to be certain. The weeks with only part of his soul he still did not fully trust.

_We keep ending up here anyway._

The thought did nothing to appease his nerves about Jace leaving.

Jace surprisingly did not snap a comment about how Alec was halfway undressed. The blonde stood up slowly shrugging his soaked leather jacket off followed by the rest of his clothes.

The memory of teasing Jace with a vague strip tease at the loft felt like a distant memory now. Alec was pretty sure he had been delirious the days following the chrysalis anyway. He had wanted to give in then. Could not, the fear of the chrysalis's power unleashing on Jace or being detected by Magnus, stopping him. Feared anything that would make him forget about controlling it even for a moment.

Alec swallowed when Jace's gaze never left his the entire time.

_Just control it long enough to see him._

A bright flash from the storm outside lit up the room briefly, bathing them in white light, Jace's blonde hair turning white, black runes turning stark for a moment.

There was a flicker of a frown on Jace's face, it made Alec wary of what Jace could see in Alec's eyes.

_What are you seeing?_

Jace reached out to grasp Alec's right hand guiding it to the parabati rune on Jace's side, moving it to the promise rune further up on the opposite side.

_I don't understand…_

Alec pulled Jace onto the bed rather than ask.

_I don't want to know_.

He followed the tug with a slide of his tongue against Jace's mouth, swallowing the soft groan that emitted from him.

Jace made a noise of discomfort, pushing him off. "You're wet."

Alec found himself almost flashing a smile. Found he couldn't, his heart twisting too much and focused on tugging the rain soaked garments off his own body before rolling to lay beside Jace.

Tracing each rune across Jace's body with his hands Alec leaned forward to start tracing those same runes with his mouth and tongue.

_I love you._

Whatever had become of their bond he knew he could never utter those words for Jace to hear. Not now, not ever. The last time he had their bond had nearly broken under the strain as Jace put the walls up blocking him out to replace him with Clary. Instead he whispered them softly against Jace's skin, knowing he murmured it against his skin too quietly for him to hear, the rain and the wind blotting out sounds.

When Alec ran his hand up the inside of Jace's leg, Jace stretched down stopping the wandering hand before it reached its destination.

Alec glanced up at Jace recognizing a silent plea to not touch him there. Alec gave his wrist a small twist and bypassed the area stretching his hand across Jace's abs instead brushing along their shared rune.

"There you are." Jace whispered on a groan hands fisting into Alec's hair.

The familiar comment left him feeling sad for some reason. To wipe the feeling away Alec surged forward to lock their mouths together suddenly aggressive. Sliding against Jace hotly.

Jace used an old grapple move to twist them around so he came up on top, never leaving Alec's mouth.

From there it became primal instinct, hips thrusting and breaths mingling.

Jace's tongue was leaving him dizzy with need, aching for more.

_More, Jace. More._

Alec tensed when he felt Jace reach down to prepare him, the hot tongue in his mouth grinding out any questions he wanted to ask Jace leaving him a broken moaning mess.

When Jace pushed into him thought cut out completely.

_Fuck. _

The red light flashed across his vision.

It was obliterated on a thrust from Jace who seemed determined to have Alec pass out from lack of oxygen. That or pleasure.

Alec felt Jace entwine his right hand with his tightly, something hard between their hands.

The rolling, thrusting rhythm forced him to arch his neck on a cry.

Alec lost it when Jace bit his neck hard, Alec arched under him sharply feeling the hot stickiness hit between them, felt his control completely slip on the power within.

He could not bring himself to care, he had Jace locked within him. It's all he wanted right now.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The burning in his hand is what woke Jace rather than the raging thunderstorm outside.

_Ow._

Jace looked down at his hand that had held the red crystal, it had burned an imprint into his hand.

It was probably among his more stupid decisions of his life, but he took a bet on instinct that the gem was the same one from the Skeptron. It did look the same, well before he had taken Alec it looked the same as he recalled.

Now it burned a bright red, swirling red mist glowed inside.

He carefully set it back in the glass container with a small clink.

Alec shifted in his sleep.

Jace stroked his hand down Alec's side to touch the parabati rune, letting his hand rest over it.

"_I love you."_

He doubted Alec was aware he had heard him whisper that against his skin, it sent his stomach into knots of desire and want just from the memory of Alec breathing the words into his skin.

_When did it change?_

The thought went unanswered. He had no idea when his own feelings for Alec had shifted, he didn't believe it was only due to the bond. It might have helped but he must have had those feelings buried somewhere even before Alec went to Edom.

He rolled his eyes at himself, recalling the jealousy he had felt when Alec had announced his first wedding to Lydia.

_That was a disaster._

Alec moved in his sleep before stilling again on a sigh when his body came in contact with Jace's.

Alec's breathing shifted slightly.

Jace rubbed his fingers along the skin around the parabati rune he still held his hand against.

"Jace?" Alec's sleepy voice filtered through the air.

_Here goes nothing._

"You know I would do anything for you. Guard you soul, your body…" Jace took a breath, forced himself to say the next part because damnit this seemed to be the only thing that worked. "your heart."

Alec turned over to look at him more fully, something partially guarded in his expression.

Jace waited, he knew it would come, either violence or passion. He had spent the last few minutes staring at it in shock when he had woken up.

Alec lifted his right hand up to rub across his right eye first. He repeated the motion again as if checking something in his vision first.

Jace felt himself frown at the strange motion.

Alec suddenly sat up inspecting his right arm, turning it over and around.

"Where. Where is it?"

The conflict in Alec's voice threw Jace for a moment.

He wished he had hidden that container, too late now.

"Apparently, our parabati bond pushed whatever you took from the chrysalis out." Jace quietly informed him, throwing Alec a wry smile.

_Or a massive chunk at the least._

Alec's gaze fell to the glowing crystal sitting in the glass canister, emotions skittering across his face to quickly for Jace to grasp.

Jace felt himself tense, ready to tackle Alec.

Alec turned towards him brushing their mouths together.

Jace remained unmoving for a moment, confused, before slanting his head to kiss Alec back properly.

_You chose me..._

He found himself smiling into the kiss, nearly giddy.

Alec pulled back slightly. "What?" Alec questioned.

"You smell like burnt Shax demon." Jace said instead.

"Shower?" Alec asked, a smile starting to form.

"Yeah. Go jump in there first. I'll be in in a second." Jace told him, brushing a kiss across Alec's mouth.

As soon as he heard the shower turn on, Jace grabbed his phone calling Izzy.

_Come on, come on pick up._

"Jace? It's like 3:00 in the morning. Oh my god. Is it Max?" Izzy's sleepy voice came violently awake.

Jace mildly regretted causing her this much concern, wincing at what he was about to put her through.

"Get to my room now. I need to give you something and you need to take it to Magnus immediately. Take Simon…Hell take Jonathan with you." Jace hissed quietly into the phone.

Jace swiped the canister off the bedside table, moving towards the door.

_Thank God Izzy's room is just a couple doors down._

He opened the door before she could knock, not even bothering to put clothes on. Her eyes went wide but he ignored it shoving the canister into her hands and shutting the door quickly.

"Jace! What the hell-" He clicked the phone off.

He'll explain it to her later.

He made it to the shower just as Alec stuck his head out to see what was taking Jace so long.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

"It's pouring like cats and dogs outside. Why couldn't Jace take whatever secret mission we're on to Magnus himself?" Jonathan growled.

"That's an idiom." Simon replied, hunching under his jacket in an attempt to stave off the torrential downpour.

"I don't care what it is. Let's get it to Magnus's." Izzy snapped.

_My makeup isn't even on and I'm in sweatpants. Sweatpants! _

The fact Jace, Jace of all people told her to involve Jonathan on this little trip screamed just how dangerous whatever it was she held under her jacket was.

_Why were you naked? What is it? Why the fuck were you naked!? Why does it feel like it's going to eat me?_

It's not like she had not seen Jace naked before. Their line of work with demons, injuries, and rune placement made that more or less inevitable. Plus that unfortunate timing with a security camera, _twice_.

"Holy shit!" She said her realization out loud causing the other two to look at her oddly and snap to attention searching for danger in the sheeting rain.

Finding none Jonathan turned towards her. "Shall we continue on this riveting dash through madness?" He inquired, clearly still annoyed having been woken up at such an ungodly hour to run madly through the rain for a reason she refused to give him.

_I'm not even sure why you agreed to come with._

"Yeah, sorry. Just really weird night." She responded as they jogged up to Magnus's loft.

Simon started pressing the buzzer over and over and over again.

Izzy flipped her phone out to call Magnus. Magnus knew they were arriving, she had already called him several times on the way out of the Institute until he woke up sounding disgruntled.

The door opened for them and the three spilled into the warm, dry building.

Izzy took off up the stairs, Simon passed her in a blur reaching Magnus's landing first and started pounding on the door.

Magnus opened the door, red robes and some shiny black pants on. "This had better be good." Magnus replied calmly to her frantic state, Jonathan appeared irritated and Simon had come just because she had called him. Thankful he only had to use his vampire speed to meet her at the entrance to the Institute from his home.

Izzy stepped quickly inside, followed by the others, before pulling the glass canister of "whatever the hell Jace gave me" out and handed it towards Magnus.

Jonathan took a few stumbling steps away from it with a muttered curse in some language she didn't know.

"My thoughts precisely." Magnus announced, scooping the container out of her grasp with his blue magic.

"So what is it?" Simon asked.

Magnus paused, searching the three over. Jonathan kept inching away from it slowly.

"This is Edom's magic, trapped." Magnus cocked his head, peering at the red orb. "In fact it has the exact magical signature that Alexander had when I was pulling it out of him in that cell." He banished the canister away. "You said Jace gave this to you?" Magnus inquired calmly.

_At 3:00 in the morning, naked. Yup._

"Yes." Izzy, crossed her arms in front of her because right now she wasn't sure if that little container meant a good thing or not.

Magnus studied her for a moment, he had sparkly makeup on neatly in place.

Izzy wore only a wet sweatshirt of Simon's and soaked pants, it left her feeling strangely exposed. She shoved it aside, she was stronger than that and these were her friends. Well most of them were anyway.

She glanced towards Simon and Jonathan because she really had nothing more than Jace's pure desperate panic to get it out of the Institute to go on.

"Did he tell you anything about where he obtained it?" Magnus inquired.

She noted Jonathan had inched his way all the way past Simon and back to the door. He appeared pale now, but was gaining some color back.

_Weird. Does he fear Edom magic now?_

She suddenly grinned as blue magic wrapped around Jonathan once again coalescing into bells.

Jonathan's color returned quickly turning into a bright red anger across his face.

"Seriously?" He growled. "I'm not your pet."

Simon snickered from his spot, eyeing Jonathan in amusement. "Should start calling you "Bluebells.""

Jonathan's eye and jaw twitched.

"No, Jace did not give me much except to give it to you immediately." Izzy replied to the original question.

Magnus cocked his head to the side peering at Izzy with his brown eyed ancient look as if he could pull the truth from her.

"I'm unsure if it's the same gem he was talking about last night that they found at a warlocks lair." Izzy finished, twisting her snake bracelet.

_Thought it was dull, this one is bright and if my other theory is right. Just crap._

"It's a Skeptron gem." Jonathan said, tugging at the bright silver bell on his neck in further annoyance, sending a death glare at Simon for his comment.

Izzy's attention swung towards the ex-demon hovering by the door, wet hair sliding uncomfortably against her neck.

"Which means what? Max had one this whole time, Jace was the one who gave him the weapon for his runeing celebration. It's a weapon any Shadowhunter can use." Izzy commented.

_I swear if you made me run through the rain for nothing Jace, no demon will compare to my wrath._

"Skeptron gems absorb the magic of Edom. They were designed to keep the Shadowhunter wielding it safe for a time until the gem filled up and eventually cracked." Magnus informed them.

"Wait. I could have used Max's weapon this whole time to extract the remnants of Edom from Alec?" Izzy questioned Magnus, wandering over to the couch and grabbing a blanket because she was dripping wet, cold, and now had just found out she could have been helping her brother all along.

"Tried it. Didn't work." Jonathan responded.

_When?_

She turned to look at Jonathan expectantly. He apparently was oblivious in how conversations worked because he did not elaborate.

"Going to elaborate for us?" Izzy growled.

_That's my brother you are experimenting on._

"Hmm. Oh, when I broke his ribs with it during training. It absorbed some of the magic from him but it was an infinitesimal amount that he did not even notice. I only knew it worked because the gem was empty prior." Jonathan said wandering over to the closet to pull out some dry clothes for himself, bells chiming and tinkling as he moved.

She could see Simon holding back a grin when the bells made a particularly loud sound.

"Hmm, the three of you are not going back out in that storm. You're all drenched to the bone and its 3:30 in the morning. Go find some rooms and sleep. We'll have a nice breakfast in the morning and I can further test it in then. I am a gracious host after all."

Magnus studied the group. "Isabelle, come with me. I'll show you to your room. Traditional custom mandates showing a woman to her room." Magnus waved an arm towards Izzy, his deep red robe flowing down his body easily.

Izzy found herself smiling at Magnus's chivalry, giving a quick kiss to Simon before following Magnus.

Magnus showed her to one of the many spare bedrooms his loft held and with a flourish of his hand had it redone in a deep red and black color scheme.

"Thanks, Magnus." Izzy said.

"Isabelle, if there are demons and warlocks gathering remnants of Edom's magic. I do believe they are attempting to open a new rift for another hellish realm. If there is something you are not telling me about that orb, I need to know." Magnus told her directly.

_Rumors and hunches, nothing concrete._

Isabelle glanced at Magnus, she trusted him implicitly. "I'm sorry, Magnus. Max had a bad mission last night when Jace brought up the orb he discovered...we didn't really have enough time to discuss it with everything going on. I do know Alec ordered Jace to give it to you or one of our resident warlocks. But it looked differently than it does now, so I'm not 100% certain it is the same orb or if Jace was being Jace and doing a clandestine mission or not."

There that covered her rational scientific self, pure facts, no hypothesis's to confuse. Mostly.

Magnus bid her goodnight and Izzy let herself fall into the bed.

O – O – O – O – O – O - O

Jace sipped at his juice in the lunchroom at the Institute, trying to roll one of his shoulders to ease the ache that filled his entire body.

An ache that he completely enjoyed last night, he just had not realized how much his muscles were going to scream at him the next morning. Apparently, setting his mind to ensuring Alec about passed out from pleasure had one drawback, muscle fatigue and the current ache in his back and the sharp burn in his hand from the orb.

Alec was already gone when Jace had finally woken up sometime around noon. Knowing Alec he probably had not slept more than two hours before needing to start his day.

He glanced at the bandage he had wrapped around his hand. An Iratze had not healed it and he assumed it was due to the fact he had pressed that orb between their hands when he had seen the veins glowing bright red.

_What the hell was I thinking?_

That stupid red crystal could have been anything, but as usual he went with his gut instinct.

_Paid off at least._

Jace found a small smile creeping onto his face pleased with himself.

_Made him lose control._

"You look pleased with yourself."

Izzy's voice, followed by her tray of food getting dropped in front of him as she sat down in front of him.

"Explain." She commanded before digging into her food, he could see the dark circles under her eyes and winced internally.

Jace took a sip of his juice followed by just chugging the whole thing to give himself more time to think.

Izzy waved her fork at him impatiently her dark eyes narrowing at him.

Jace set the glass down.

"Forgot to give it to Magnus last night when we were at his place, it started acting strange." He tried, crossing his arms in front of him and meeting her dark eyes.

Izzy gave him a deadpan look.

Jace glanced to the side. "Fine, just not here." Jace amended.

Izzy gave him a small smile scarfing the rest of her lunch down in record time before dragging him off to the piano where few people ventured.

_Fuck, this conversation is not one I want to have._

"Alright, start talking." Izzy demanded once Jace sat down at the piano.

_So pushy._

He would still love Izzy regardless, just this was beyond awkward to try and explain.

"_Yeah, I fucked your brother until he lost control and dumped a ton of Edom's power into that orb I gave you."_

Izzy would have accepted that, but his pride would never let him live it down.

"That orb I gave you last night, it pulled power from Alec." Jace said, trying to put it as lightly and basically as possible.

Izzy leaned against the piano. "Yeah, that's what Magnus suspected. It carried the same signature as the power he drew from Alec when he was still in the cell. Jace, I was freaking out all morning because you told me you suspected Alec had an addiction to magic and then you just threw a ball of power at me that essentially holds Alec's addiction. What is going on?" Izzy demanded.

Jace rubbed his hands over his face before leaning forward resting his elbows on his knees. He wanted to look at her when he said this, but damn it was hard.

"I think Alec got infected again when he interacted with that chrysalis. Our parabati bond when…activated a certain way had the strength to push that power out. I just don't know how he is handling it now. He left before we could talk this morning." Jace informed her.

He watched as Izzy went from frazzled to a dawning realization followed by her devilish smirk.

_Fucking hell._

"No. No, Izzy, it's not like that." Jace snapped, mortified that she knew. Again.

"You were naked. I think it's precisely that." She deadpanned.

_I'm not giving her more ammo to hold over my head._

"I can tell he still wants that power." Jace told her instead, trying to move this conversation past mortification towards anything useful.

Izzy's arms came up around her body. "Jace, that power. It felt like it wanted to eat me and even Jonathan seemed afraid of it. Magnus said there are warlocks working on distributing the power from the previous orbs he had siphoned Edom's power from Alec back into nature, said he can handle this one since it's much smaller in scale. But with that warlock killing other warlocks in his own city, Magnus is taking a trip to the Labyrinth to ensure all the other orbs are accounted for. Apparently, he and Jonathan have a running tally on which greater demons have been killed since the destruction of Edom."

Jace glanced up at Izzy's brown eyes that was a lot for one morning. "Does Maryse or Alec know?" Jace asked.

_That information could be crucial in their current demon attacks and void-rift making problem._

Izzy pursed her lips thinking. "I don't know. Alec's new integration of Downworlders is still new and mom never told me anything about more than two greater demons wandering New York." Izzy relented after a moment.

"Great let's go integrate some more." Jace said, pushing away from the piano.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Magnus felt the cool rocks of the Spiral Labyrinth as he walked passed.

In many ways the warlocks hidden base of magical knowledge was very similar to the Nephilim's Silent City. Both underground, secured, and filled with dangerous knowledge.

He spotted a tall female figure dressed in a scoop neck black dress approaching him.

"Tessa, my dear." Magnus said as he reached her.

Tessa reached out and embraced him in a quick hug.

"I received your message about needing to ensure the Edom infused orbs were all accounted for." Tessa acknowledged turning to guide him further into the Labyrinth.

Upon reaching the location the warlocks assigned to shifting demonic energy into nature Magnus quickly realized all were accounted for.

"They are all accounted for." Magnus stated more to himself. He counted them again.

_Yes, all are here. Does not explain anything of what Isabelle gave me._

She had said Jace gave it to her. The power was clearly linked to Alexander. Jace had brought Alexander back somehow through the parabati rune, that much was confirmed.

Magnus had suspected the parabati rune would be involved due to the amount of soul energy he had seen orbiting around Jace's parabati rune like a neon comet when Jace had first been injured. That energy had suddenly become invisible after the shadowhunters trip to the chrysalis.

_Unless they performed a ritual prior to that. Jem kept pushing that the shadowhunters had everything they needed to bring Alexander's soul back._

Magnus had thought Alexander was surviving off of Jace's life force. He knew some shadowhunter parabati that had become so close that they died within hours of each other even if the remaining one had originally been healthy. He understood Alexander and Jace had become closer, but he doubted they could overcome years' worth of secrets and lies in the weeks since Edom.

_None of that helps me figure out where this new bit of power came from._

Either way, Magnus had acquired his answer to the important question. All the orbs he had siphoned power into from Alexander were accounted for.

Double checking each one himself by scanning the orbs with his power.

Once complete he thanked Tessa and portaled his way home, thanking changes in dimensional time that he did not miss more than a few minutes from his normal day.

O – O – O – O – O – O - O

Maryse appeared as calm and collected as the office she sat in.

_Used to be Alec's office._

The mahogany desk, the rich carpet, every piece of furniture clean of paperwork, mahogany filing cabinets all neatly closed.

_It used to have a more lived in feel._

Jace glanced at the spot Alec used to keep for Downworlders to drop off complaints, suggestions, or information even if they did not wish to meet with him directly. It used to be stacked with papers surrounded in a blue glow to keep others from digging through it.

Jace had let Izzy do most of the talking concerning the knowledge Magnus was working with towards the demons amassing during her entire speech Maryse appeared unruffled, back straight.

Izzy sat as straight and primly as possible, legs crossed, hands neatly clasped in front of her unmoving during her short speech.

"Well, I must admit, I am surprised you two both came and told me. But I already know. Magnus contacted me with a list of greater demon names the day after Alec miraculously healed. I am concerned that the demons are attempting to track down these Edom infused orbs to reopen a path to another hellish realm, it was sheer dumb luck you found that one at the warlocks lair Jace." Maryse informed them with her usual stern voice casting a hard look at Jace.

Jace heard the door open behind them, felt Alec's presence like a heat wave.

"I've got eleven teams drawn up, the last team…" Alec stopped scanning the three in the room, the usual tablet for work held in one hand. "What is it?" He asked sharply.

"Jace and Isabelle want to recruit the warlocks to assist in our attack on the demons portal-rift they are intending to open." Maryse informed him.

Jace scanned Alec's form, leather jacket and black glove still covered his right arm, dark circles with a sheen of sweat.

_Withdrawal? Exhaustion? Did I even reach you?_

"I can integrate the warlocks into the plan on the other points. I'm not putting anything demonic in the center. I'm not throwing another warlock into a hell realm as a sacrifice." Alec stated walking over to where Jace and Izzy sat on the black sofa.

Jace bit back the comment that instantly wanted to rip from his lips staring up at Alec defiantly.

_Tell me I pushed it out…_

Just need time to talk sense into him. Or rip his clothes off and check yourself.

_Focus._

"What team are we on?" Jace asked Alec, because they were parabati it was expected for them to go into battle together.

Alec's dark gaze sharpened on Jace.

Jace had to fight the urge to reach out and grasp Alec's arm.

"You always say you are the best. Now you get to prove it. You will be part of one of the center teams. I'm still working out the details." Alec said, before frowning at Izzy's appearance. "Get some rest, it's an order. We are moving tomorrow at eleven hundred."

Izzy rolled her eyes at her brother. "You look like shit too, Alec." She deadpanned.

"Isabelle is right. Finish the preparations for the mission tomorrow and sleep. All of you." Maryse ordered from her desk.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Jace had finished his normal duties and completed sharpening and runeing all his weapons before he headed back to Alec's room. Mostly he just wanted to ask Alec how he was feeling, maybe sleep without violence occurring for an hour.

He reached Alec's room, reaching for the door.

"That good you saw inside of me. I can't do what you are asking of me. I can't, Alec. I can't risk becoming that ugly monster that Clary was disgusted by, she hated me then."

Jace froze outside Alec's door hand hovering over the doorknob.

_That was Jonathan's voice._

"I'm not asking you to, I'm asking you to help destroy the very thing that can infect us both, again. The chrysalis didn't affect you. You can approach-" Alec started.

"Because you made it! The power we will face, we won't have the souls inside you to help channel it." Jonathan interjected.

"Struggle with this all you want. You are coming on this mission. You will survive this even if I have to rebuild you from scratch." Alec snapped.

"Yeah, pure one, who will control you?" Jonathan said snidely.

"Then you kill me."

Silence.

"Done." Jonathan said.

Jace spun and blindly pushed his own bedroom door open, slamming it shut before Jonathan or Alec exited.

O – O – O – O – O – O

"_You will find your friends dead…"_

The soft knock on his door pulled Jace from his doze he had fallen into. He clenched his fist hard, moving his fingers before he cracked his eyes open and turned towards the door.

It was being slowly pushed open.

_Terror._

His heartbeat accelerated wildly and he swung towards his bedside grabbing the seraph blade there, swinging back around with the blade raised.

Jace froze.

Alec stood there, black hair damp from a shower, dressed in worn sweats clearly having finally reached the pinnacle of wakefulness he could manage.

_Alec._

His heartbeat evened out, shaking off the nightmare Jace stared at him.

"You going to put that down or stab me with it?" Alec joked cautiously moving into the room, kicking the door closed behind him.

Jace dropped the seraph blade to the floor with a clatter.

He jumped from the sound still staring at Alec.

"How do you feel? After last night." Jace blurted the question out.

Alec tensed, hand itching at his arm before reaching up towards his face, dropping his hand before it touched.

"Strange. Different." Alec murmured, looking towards the floor clearly having not expected the question.

_That's it? No, no more hiding._

Jace was off the bed in a shot, grabbing Alec's shoulders.

"Talk to me, damnit!" Jace yelled.

Alec reacted with a snarl.

"Does your ego need an explanation of your performance or do you want the report on the fucking cavern you just removed from my blood!?" Alec growled back, shoving Jace back harshly.

Jace staggered back more stunned from the words than the actual push.

"This isn't about me. This is about your addiction and -" Jace said.

"It's always about you, Jace." Alec interrupted him harshly before he could get the words out, shoving Jace back again.

Jace felt his brow furrow in anger and confusion.

"_You_ need _me_. You started this when you came back from Edom." Jace said waspishly intending to hurt.

The words hit hard, pain and something breaking in those dark brown eyes in front of Jace.

"I don't need you." Alec snapped.

_Yeah, right._

"What are you afraid of?" Jace snapped back shoving Alec back hard enough to gain the ground he had lost.

"I'm not afraid of you. You never needed me." Alec started angrily.

_No.._

"Because you never let anyone but Magnus and Jonathan in!" Jace spat shoving himself into Alec's space clenching his fist in preparation for a swing.

Jealousy coiling in his gut.

_You talk to Jonathan._

Alec glanced up at the ceiling, hiding his expression briefly. "You just walked away every time a problem of mine came up. Your priorities have always been yourself." Alec said.

_Not anymore._

"Maybe if you told me…" Jace began relaxing his fist and reaching out a hand.

Alec deflected it, swiping Jace's arm to the side forcing him to drop it back to his side.

"You wouldn't even acknowledge it! You just come in when you think you need to save me from myself and leave." Alec snarled loudly into Jace's face.

Those words hit Jace's heart hard, wrapping around and squeezing.

_It's not like that at all._

"Alec…" Jace whispered.

Alec scowled crossing his arms. "What?" Alec bit out.

Jace stepped closer, swallowing. "We're parabati. It's ok to feel something for me." He whispered.

Alec's scowl only deepened, tilting his head back and closing his eyes as if in pain.

_Look at me._

Like a magnetic force, Alec turned his face back towards Jace, only his expression had turned steely and cold.

"Jace what you did-" Alec began without inflection.

"That's what this is about." Jace whispered.

Silence.

Alec said nothing. Expression morphing into wariness and taking a step away from Jace.

Jace gripped Alec's leather jacket in a fist stalling the motion.

"Our parabati bond is strong enough to keep your soul. It's strong enough to hold onto our each other through heavenly fire, through death, through Edom." Jace gripped tighter on the black leather staring into Alec's eyes.

Blue and brown heterochromia boring into brown.

_Believe me, please. I don't think I can do this chase again._

Alec grabbed Jace hard, the only warning Jace received before Alec smashed their mouths together pushing into Jace hard.

Jace opened his mouth on a startled gasp when their teeth collided. Alec snatched the opening, plunging his tongue into Jace's mouth ravishing and possessive in its intensity.

_You're mine._

Jace bit Alec's lower lip hard.

Alec bit back harder, punishing.

Jace clawed his hands across any part of Alec he could grasp. Growling when Alec grabbed his hair to tilt his head back and carve out a spot in Jace's mouth with his tongue.

_Fuck, I need you._

Jace tried to claw the thought into Alec through his leather jacket pulling him closer until there was no space between them.

A knock on the door broke them apart, panting into each other.

Both searching the others eyes, brown-blue locked with a darker shade.

"Jace, Maryse is calling that meeting about taking out the demon symbol." Clary called through the door. "Can I come in?"

Alec ran his hand across Jace's parabati rune, his hand clenching tightly over the skin there before drawing back, straightening and his stoic mask falling into place.

"I told you. He loses all ability to hear when he's sleeping." Izzy's voice sounded through the door.

"Good thing he doesn't sleep while hunting demons then." Simon said.

_Shit. All of them._

He moved away from Alec feeling like he was missing a crucial moment between them.

Jace pulled his door open.

"Come on let's go do this mission." Jace said to the others, pulling the door closed behind him before they could notice Alec's presence.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The Main Ops Center had more shadowhunters assembled than Jace had seen since their attempt to search out Valentine.

"Think you can convince Alec to move me to your team?" Izzy whispered twisting her silver snake bracelet nervously.

_Not sure I can convince him of anything right now._

"I haven't had a chance to look at the teams yet. Why aren't you with me?" Jace asked.

Magnus Bane and twelve other warlocks stood off to the side conversing. Some showed their warlock marks easily, others remained hidden beneath a glamour. One with coiling yellow horns, another with perfectly smooth green skin, and another warlock with a tail.

"Because apparently Alec still doesn't trust us." Clary's bitter voice sounded from his other side.

A glance showed her glaring daggers in Alec's direction as he entered Jace's line of sight.

_He hasn't slept._

"He's got me and Clary and some other shadowhunters and a warlock, Catarina, in one group. Izzy is with a completely different group." Simon said.

_Great strategy, throwing Clary with a bunch of unknowns. Izzy by herself. What were Maryse and Alec thinking?_

"Attention." Maryse's sharp voice rang out across those assembled. "Here is the layout of the city. We have marked in red numbers where each group will be portaled to exterminate the demon nest that you will find there."

Maryse waved her hand across her tablet to pull up a picture of a demonic symbol, lines twisted in the center of several circles.

"This symbol will be at each location. We don't know if it will be large or small. You need to find it and destroy it. Each group has been assigned a warlock to help locate this symbol. It is imperative that none of our warlocks' blood touches these symbols." She continued.

_Well, shit. Hordes of demons._

"When you break that symbol. Send a flare up and call it in to the Institute. Dismissed." Maryse turned away from the assembled group heading towards Alec.

"You're on the team with Magnus. When my section is cleared I'll be coming to you with my team." Izzy informed Jace.

_Where most of the power lines converge before warping to the central point._

Jace stared at the number in the center of that symbol across the city.

_1._

"What team number is Alec on?" Jace asked feeling his gut already starting to clench.

"One, with Jonathan." Izzy said. "Mom thinks since Jonathan understood the symbols in Edom he would be the best to break the focal point without risking any of our warlocks' blood hitting the most crucial part of the symbol."

_It's not the warlocks' blood I'm worried about._

Alec strode over to their little group stopping in front of Clary.

"All shadowhunters have been taught your sunlight rune. Your job is to travel to each location following the circle before following the internal lines and ensure the demonic symbol is destroyed. Simon will be carrying you with his vampire speed."

Clary threw her head back. "Isn't that redundant?" Clary asked belligerently.

"I'm not risking the destruction of our world on this plan going smoothly. You are backup plan B and I am counting on you to do your job without pulling any of your normal stunts." Alec informed her sharply.

"We have a plan C?" Simon asked nervously.

Alec glanced towards where Jonathan was striding towards the group already fully geared up. Most of the other shadowhunters gave him a wide berth still, he swept across the room like a tide.

"Yes. And those people have been informed of their roles as well." Alec stated.

"You ready for this?" Jonathan asked Alec as he drew near them, slinging an arm over Clary's shoulder in a half hug.

Clary looked at her brother strangely at the unusual show of affection before sliding her arm around him to return the half hug.

"Not really, but we have a job to do. Jace, see you on the other side." Alec responded casting one last look at Jace. That look held for a moment, suspended for a second, before Alec turned towards the armory to gather his weapons.

Jace instantly regretted not reaching out and at least hugging him.

Jonathan turned towards his sister framing her face with his hands.

Jace felt himself tensing up hand dropping to his seraph blade.

"Clary you know I love you, don't forget that I was good. At least for a little while." Jonathan told her desperately.

"Jonathan, we're siblings. I'll always love you, no matter what." Clary responded, smiling at the show of affection although a little thrown by his words.

Simon rolled his eyes at Jonathan muttering something Jace couldn't catch, but sounded like "bluebells."

"Come on let's go get into our teams." Izzy said.

Jonathan twirled something in his hand. "Excellent." He slammed it into Jace's arm pulling it back quickly.

_What the fuck!?_

Jace lunged at Jonathan who had already stepped out of range using Clary as a buffer between them, pocketing something small and red.

Jace felt his body lockup, punching fear through his body.

_The Owl isn't here._

"What the hell, Jonathan!" Clary snarled spinning on her brother.

Jonathan shrugged. "Just listening to orders." He walked away without acknowledging the rest of the fuming group.

The fear passed as quickly as it had come.

Jace rubbed at his arm looking at the spot Jonathan had just stabbed him with something sharp.

_Injection?_

"Hey! What the hell did you inject me with!?" Jace yelled after him.

Jonathan ignored him turning out of sight.

_Fucking asshole._

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The first wave of teams had already left to begin.

Jace spun his stele waiting for the signal for Magnus to open a portal for them to jump to their location.

He had already written anti-venom and anti-virus runes on his body having no idea what Jonathan had given him.

_Still feel normal and healthy._

Maryse's phone rang out loudly through the quiet in the hall.

Jace could see her answer it from where he sat with Magnus and the rest of his team.

His team was the only one left to be portaled in.

_Right into the fire._

Alec had gone with Clary's team at the very start since none of the warlocks had been to the location marked on the map, so he had to hoof it.

"Team Two. Activate the portal." Maryse's voice rang out.

Magnus stood up dusting off some invisible dirt from his fancy black jacket before snapping his arm around to create the required golden portal.

"Portal to hell coming right up." Magnus said deprecatingly.

Jace leapt through first seraph blade already drawn.

He came out in a roll feeling his blade tug slightly in his hand as it sliced through a demon.

_Shiiit._

He knew they were jumping into the presumably thickest part of the demon nest but the sheer numbers was not what he expected.

Jace found himself slicing through two more before needing to roll out of the way of a larger scaled demon dropping from above. Another shadowhunter shot it down before it hit where he had landed.

He heard the portal close behind him.

Everything within Jace's vision turned red incinerating in a splash of gore and blood.

Jace turned his head to gape at Magnus who was holding one arm outstretched towards the main section of the nest a reddish flare of magic writhed around his hand.

_Holy shit._

Jace was half tempted to ask if Magnus could just blast through everything for them, but already knew he couldn't. Magical exhaustion would put Magnus out of the fight before they made it to the true center point.

"Not going to be able to do that often." Magnus commented lightly.

Jace could hear some of the other shadowhunters muttering in awe.

A screech had them all facing the newest threat.

It wreathed in smoke, its gray scaled body pitching forward onto the ground scurrying towards them with eyes glowing red.

"That one is immune to warlock magic." Magnus warned.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

_Failure just means do it again._

Alec clenched his hand, pulling the leather glove off flexing it. The black lines were so very faint now, all he had to do was let his own body heal naturally now and he would be fine. Well, he was about to fuck up all Jace's passionate work.

_Jace will live, that's all that matters._

He glanced at Jonathan who appeared black given all the demon ichor he had coated his body with to keep the demons from smelling them. Alec knew he looked the same.

Jonathan touched his shoulder pointing down to the largest demon below them.

"_How does sanity feel?"_

The old remembered question from Jonathan made Alec smile grimly.

_Today it feels like blood and tastes of death._

He dropped on the demon plunging his seraph blade into its back, tearing it open, before punching his right arm into its body letting the faint black lines darken again.

"Time to move, pure one." Jonathan pushed after a moment grabbing Alec and hauling him away from the body. "I do need your mental faculties intact."

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Fire blasted past Jace as he dove behind a pile of demon corpses. The stench of burning flesh made him gag once before managing to swallow down the growing bile.

_Fucking shit! Dragonidae!_

Mythological demons that were supposed to be extinct. Extinct being the operative word. Alec had told him a couple years ago he had fought one, Jace had not believed him fully thinking it was a Vetis demon instead.

"_It's not extinct enough."_

Alec's angry comment when Jace had contradicted him made Jace smile wryly in remembrance as he peeked over the burning demon corpses to check where the dragonidae had wandered to. He dropped back down into his temporary cover.

_Back turned, three other shadowhunters across room, Magnus crouched near its flank._

Easy kill.

Jace activated his speed, strength, and agility runes with a thought throwing himself over his cover, running at the massive demon.

It heard him coming turning its giant head towards him, flames licking from its mouth.

Jace saw Magnus weaving his hands together casting some spell from the corner of his eye.

Jace hit its tail, launching himself further up the demons back using his seraph blade to anchor himself into place when he landed.

The dragonidae howled thrashing in pain nearly unseating him from its back. Fire poured from its mouth straight at Jace.

_Shit. Time to go._

Jace threw himself to the side using his seraph blade to slice through the demons side as he fell both to injure it and slow his fall.

Blue engulfed him a moment before the red fire did wrapping around his body pulling him out of the way of the demons fiery breathe.

"Next time warn me you are suicidal." Magnus snapped still hunkered down in his cover.

"Nah, mean beastie wanted to get stabbed in the back. I obliged it." Jace tossed a cocky smile towards Magnus.

He could see the other members of his team had attacked when Jace had, taking advantage of the fact it faced away from them. One shadowhunter had neatly sliced one of the legs off, another had managed to lodge a spike in the demons eye.

The temporary cover of bodies he and Magnus hid behind exploded as the demon slammed its tail down into the corpses spewing demon ichor and guts across Magnus and Jace.

Magnus rolled fluidly out of the way.

_An opening!_

Jace took advantage and slammed his blade through the back half of the demon's tail cleaving it halfway off its body.

A shadow crossed overhead.

Jace threw himself out of the way just as a giant piece of rubble slammed into the demons body puncturing through where a lung should be. The demon lay still.

Jace performed a quick head count, the other three shadowhunters were accounted for as was Magnus.

Magnus was carefully pulling bits of demon gore off his shiny jacket, before deeming it not worth the effort or magic.

"You just dropped a rock on it." One of the shadowhunters said.

"Yes, Jace actually gave me the idea. Stab it in the back. I don't have a dagger the size of that demon so I made one. A rock." Magnus conceded with some mirth.

_He's going to incinerate me for sure if he finds out about what I've done to Alec for his soul._

"Let's find that symbol and move towards the center." Jace ordered the others. His parabati rune alerting him that something was wrong. The pulse and burn must have started during the fight with the dragonidae but now that he stood still it screamed a warning to him.

"Searching. I have three channels of power and that support symbol to filter through." Magnus responded irritably.

_Well search faster._

"Grid pattern search." Jace ordered the other shadowhunters with him.

Jace started pacing the room they stood in scanning the ground with the other shadowhunters, performing quick 360 degree checks every few steps checking for more demons coming their way.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Alec wished someone could invent a comm system that would work long range.

He and Jonathan had now been cut off from communication from the rest of the battle for a couple hours sneaking through the dark demon nests slowly, killing enough to activate the remnants in his arm which burned with hot fire and stabbing ice, his parabati rune giving off warning pulses each time.

_You can do this. Control it just a little longer._

Jonathan moved back beside him from where he had scouted ahead.

"Here. 30 sacrifices. I'll take the left side, you take the right." Jonathan whispered drawing his blade.

_Angel, forgive me._

Alec pulled his bow out, crawling forward to peer over the ledge.

_No…_

Mundanes. Elderly, children, women, and men all lined up in a neat row. All listlessly sitting facing the symbol on the ground meant for their living blood.

Alec closed his eyes.

_Whatever it takes._

He drew his bow back. A breath. The bow shook slightly, he steadied it. Fired the arrow into the youngest killing them instantly. The next 15 seconds were a blur.

Grab arrow, draw, fire, death. Draw, fire, death. Repeat.

The soldier in him acknowledged that Jonathan had dropped slicing through ten of the mundanes easily while his arrows flew.

Jonathan kept moving as the demons surged towards him dropping flasks filled with oil behind him as he ran.

Alec pulled out one of his explosive arrows, drawing and firing not waiting for Jonathan to fully clear the area.

The arrow hit, oil caught fire a moment later igniting the bodies and the demons.

Something black and metal whistled through the air slamming into Jonathan piercing his shoulder clean through in a spout of blood.

Jonathan barely made a grunt.

Alec watched Jonathan scarcely even register the pain, he pulled the metal pole out of his body spinning it with his good arm looking back at the oncoming six larger demons.

Alec drew a bead on one of the demons in the lead slamming an arrow into its head before dropping down to the floor.

As soon as his feet hit the ground he could feel it.

Power. Red. Hot and malignant.

_Not yet._

He could see it under the ground undulating in time to an unknown heartbeat.

The distraction cost him.

He snapped his gaze up, bringing his seraph blade up at the same time impaling the demon that had managed to get close while he had been sidetracked.

He never completed the blow.

The demon's claw slammed towards his side the same moment his blade pierced its chest, Alec threw himself sideways feeling those lethal claws slice his side open.

Coming up he saw Jonathan kicking a demon off the metal pole he had impaled it with.

Alec glanced down at his side.

_Non-lethal. Flesh wound._

"You two are becoming very annoying to remain dead." A grating voice pushed through the darkness.

Pushing that desire to reach into the ground and pull that power further into Alec. Whatever Jace had done did made it easier to not give in.

_Jace is never going to forgive me for this._

Jonathan smiled broadly at the new demon's disembodied voice. "Life needs to be interesting, worth living. Death stops. You finally get a taste of that, you can't return to your precious void can you?"

Alec quickly fired off three more arrows as Jonathan beheaded another demon with the black metal pipe.

"Viciousness becomes both of you now. Come now Jonathan you know you miss the strength and I know your little angel friend has been corrupted." That dark voice was irritating.

_Show yourself demon._

Alec scanned the area they stood in, the flames only casting an eerie glow across the darkness.

The power under their feet gave a stronger pulse, he could see it burn brighter.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Jace and the other shadowhunters had completed about half the room in search of the symbol when he felt a pressure in the air.

"Jace, we have a problem!" Magnus's suddenly shouted.

_No mission goes smoothly._

"What?" Jace called back still scanning the floor and pillars he walked past for the symbol they needed to break.

"The power flow has increased from the west. I think one of our units fell." Magnus informed him staring at the floor with golden glittery cat-eyes.

_Fucking terrific._

"Can you hold it off?" Jace inquired.

The amount of power that was going to take would be like moving leylines again. Jace knew the warlock was capable of it, was uncertain how long Magnus could hold that power back for.

Jace continued to squint into the gloom of the underground chamber they were in, activating his night vision rune with a thought, searching the floor and kicking aside demonic bodies to check underneath.

_This damn symbol better not be underneath the dragonidae._

Jace glanced over at the massive body that lay on the far side of the room where they had managed to kill it.

"For a time, you need to make sure that center one Alexander and Jonathan are located gets destroyed first otherwise the rift will open regardless. The warlock blood is boosting the power." Magnus warned stretching his arms out, hands spread flat towards the ground.

Blue magic was spiraling forth from Magnus's hands hitting the floor and quickly changing towards a golden color.

_We don't even have this one destroyed yet…_

Two of the shadowhunters closest to the dragonidae activated their strength runes to lift the leg of the massive demon, pushing it to the side to continue their search for the required symbol to break.

A sharp intake of breath from Magnus had him glancing back towards the warlock.

Magnus was crouched towards the ground arms straining against the unseen battle of power Jace's eyes could not see. Magnus's golden cat-eyes eyes were locked on the massive dragonidae.

"It's under the big one isn't it?" Jace questioned.

Magnus swallowed, gritting his teeth as the power flowing from his hands shifted into brighter and brighter streams of power.

"Yes. Hurry up and break it. It will help with the strain." Magnus grit out sweeping his arms back, pulling one arm closer to his body before repeating the strange pulling motion using his magic.

Jace jogged over to the demon with the other shadowhunters. "Two of you use sunlight runes." Jace pointed to another shadowhunter. "You help me cut this thing open."

Jace glanced at the female shadowhunter, one he knew had dated downworlders, and he hoped his next request would be taken well.

"I need you to go help Magnus by giving him your strength and energy for as long as you can endure." Jace ordered her. She paled slightly, giving a sharp nod and went to stand beside Magnus reaching her hand out to touch his shoulder.

Between the sunlight runes and two seraph blades the group made quick work of chopping up the demon.

Ichor and guts spilled across the floor coating his boots.

The shadowhunter working with Jace gagged and Jace fought his own reflex to join him. The demon smelled like brimstone and burning rot.

Pulling apart the monster became an arduous task that took longer due to the ichor covering the floor, but they finally managed to locate the symbol they needed to break beneath the body.

_About time._

"Sunlight rune. Together." Jace ordered the shadowhunters beside him.

Jace drew the sunlight rune across his left hand, thankful that the bridge rune on his right had been draw there by Alec. Trying to draw the sunlight rune with his non-dominant hand would have been painfully awkward to the point the rune might not even work.

The other shadowhunters followed suit and between them they blasted away the ichor that had leaked from the large demon's body.

A sharp crack sounded and part of the floor gave way as the demonic symbol was disabled.

Jace smiled turning towards Magnus beaded in sweat.

"Power is still flowing, the initial outer circle hasn't been broken yet." Magnus grit out reaching out a hand and grasping at a thick line of magical power extending from his hand pulling it to the side.

_Damnit._

Jace pointed at two of the shadowhunters. "You two head to the surface send the flare out and call in our status on the symbol." Jace pointed at the two remaining. "You two stay with Magnus, protect him and offer him your power if he needs more. That power he holds back cannot head to the central location. I'm headed to rendezvous with Alec's team."

All orders being carried out Jace headed towards the central location. There was a demonic rune that needed to be destroyed and his parabati rune was starting to pulse and burn against his side again sending bolts of adrenaline through his body.

_It's not fear._

He knew he was lying to himself.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The darkness around Alec was increasing, the oil burning casted a lower and lower light as it ate through the fuel and burned the corpses.

"Azazel." Jonathan replied into the darkness.

_I thought I banished him back to the void._

"Perceptive. I have always admired your ruthlessness Jonathan, but right now you are in my way." The grating voice, Azazel, said from the darkness.

Alec swung his bow through the darkness, brown eyes probing for any sign of movement.

The smoke from the burning bodies was starting to make his nose burn and his eyes water. Alec blinked trying to clear them.

_Damnit where are you so I can send you back._

"Might have to go to plan D before Azazel is taken care of." Jonathan muttered quietly to Alec.

Dread filled Alec at that thought.

He gave a slight jerk of his head in acknowledgement eyes not leaving the darkness.

"Jonathan. You released me from Duduael. Consider this an offer to guide the greatest uprising this world will ever know. Throw his precious angel blood on the rune, we open the rift." Azazel offered, his grating voice warping into something smoother.

_I made him. He's not yours._

Alec refused to take his eyes off the darkness before him to look at Jonathan's face.

_He has a family now. Clary loves him, he won't destroy that._

"Done. Everything is about survival and how to control the masses anyway. Have to rebuild it somewhere. Why not here." Jonathan shrugged casually, tossing a knife into his hand.

Alec slowly turned his gaze towards Jonathan that knife glinting in the low light.

"Pain means you are alive." Jonathan said slashing across Alec's upper leg.

Pain bloomed across his leg followed by the wet dampness of blood. Alec dropped into a roll away from Jonathan blood smearing across the ground as he went.

_Damnit, that was deep, needs an Iratze._

Alec lowered his bow enough to draw the Iratze across his skin activating it quickly.

Jonathan advanced towards him seraph blade raised. Alec could see Azazel stepping out of the shadows to watch the kill.

Snapping his bow up, arrow knocked. He felt the light brush of the red fletching against his jaw for a moment. Alec fired the bolt through the air.

The dark bolt zipped past Jonathan entirely rushing straight for Azazel's chest.

Azazel reached out and caught it in his grasp, smiling.

_Damnit to hell, I hate greater demons._

"That was the wrong decision." Azazel smiled.

A pressure wave of sound and pain hit Alec a moment later forcing him to his hands and knees.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Crawling through the darkness under the city of New York Jace had not anticipated the shockwave of debilitating sound to slam into him knocking him to the ground.

Gasping for breath and blinking his eyes against the pain Jace rolled back to his hands and knees, pushing himself to his feet as he activated his angel blood.

_I have to be close._

Jace crawled over three more pipes laying across the ground before he was free of the claustrophobic underground maintenance tunnels he had been traveling through to avoid a pack of demons. Breaking out into hazy light filtering down from above. Looking down he felt his blood run cold.

The view showed him Alec and Jonathan, both on hands and knees, some two dozen or more mundanes butchered along a giant symbol etched into the floor, and what could only be a greater demon standing in the center of it all.

_Greater demon. Alec. Mission._

Acknowledgement of his screwed up priorities did not even factor into Jace's roll from his spot two floors above the greater demon that held Alec and Jonathan to the ground with his power.

_Fucking shit!_

The giant black rift opening in the sky above him that factored into his priorities fast. The sight sent fear slamming into his gut, his gut dropping just as fast as his fall.

Jace slammed his seraph blade into the demons spine catching it completely off guard, his knee slammed into the ground jolting pain up through his hip at the abuse.

"NOOO! We needed him to…" Jonathan started screaming.

_Next time I won't save your sorry ass._

Jace yanked the seraph blade from the demon's spine swinging his blade across its neck cleanly beheading it.

Jonathan scrambled to his feet and charged at Jace. "Move. Move. Get off it now!"

"We need to close the rift! We need to go back and get Magnus to close the rift!" Jace shouted back at him. His parabati rune gave a twisted heated pulse before erupting into pain.

_Alec._

Jonathan slammed into him half dragging, half pushing Jace away.

_No!_

"Magnus has his end of the rift to contend with. Alec controls this." Jonathan said, pulling Jace away.

_Control…_

The word sent a fresh batch of dread through Jace.

Jace twisted his body yanking his arms down breaking free of Jonathan's grasp. He swung his gaze towards Alec stumbling to a halt.

Alec had his right hand pressed to the greater demons chest, the black demon ichor coating every part of Alec making it difficult to distinguish if the lines of black he had thought were gone were arching back up his parabati's arm.

"You want to help?" Jonathan hissed. "Wait until that rift it closed," he pointed above their heads where the roiling black rift could be seen. "then activate your parabati rune with every little angel blooded bit you have."

_It will be to late then._

Jace lunged back towards Alec, Jonathan predicted the move blocking Jace's path with a seraph blade to his neck.

Jace's eyes went wide hand convulsing at his side.

A heartbeat later, Jace snapped his own blade up batting the sharp blade away from his neck.

"You want him dead? Revenge against me for killing you, is that it?" Jace snarled at Jonathan. "He made you!" Jace sprang at Jonathan aiming to impale his ribcage with his blade.

Jonathan swiped the blade to the side in a clash that sent sparks off the two swords his lips slowly turned up into a slow smile.

"I told your parabati I would kill them all, every last one of them. He granted me _years_ to get my revenge." Johnathan forcefully said pacing before Jace seraph blade flashing through the shifting light.

_That doesn't even make sense._

Jace tracked the sharp seraph blade long enough to watch it cut across Alec's form in his vision.

A vision disturbingly similar to how he had appeared at the chrysalis. Kneeling, dark head thrown back, eyes open towards the sky.

_Don't do this again._

Jace clenched his hand around the hilt of his blade. The parabati rune felt like it was on fire.

_Please, let me get to him in time._

"You need to get out of the way Jonathan. I killed you once, I _will_ kill you again." Jace coldly informed Jonathan.

The murky light from above was starting to shift.

Jonathan barked out a short laugh, a slim taunt in his voice. "You won't. Alec remade me. What kind of bond do you think it gives us?"

_Something weaker than our parabati bond. His soul is tied to mine._

Sunlight streamed down from above casting Jonathan in light, retaining Jace in the darkness.

_Attack. Now!_

Jace brought his seraph blade up stabbing forward on an attack that would imbed his blade in Jonathan's heart.

The same moment Jace launched his attack Jonathan leapt backwards in an easy flip through the air landing directly behind Alec, slicing through Alec's right shoulder with his blade in a bright spray of blood.

Alec sluggishly turned towards Jonathan clenching his hand into a fist even as the blood dripped off it.

"Parabati rune." Jonathan slammed a needle into Alec's neck depressing the syringe. "Activate it."

There was no choice.

_There is never a choice when it comes to Alec._

Even in his confusion Jace sent as much of his angelic energy into that single rune on his body punching it through the bond towards Alec, leaping the last few feet towards Jonathan to rip him off his parabati.

Jonathan leapt smoothly away ripping the blade from Alec's shoulder, landing several feet from the pair now, watching both guardedly.

_Damnit! Fight me!_

"Need me to goad you into a fight? Come try me once more and I'll prove to you I'm better than you, again." Jace taunted the red haired ex-demon.

Bastard hurt Alec and Jace was going to make him pay in blood.

Surprisingly Jonathan did not react in anger and violence as he had in his demon form. Instead Jonathan drew runes across his arms and from this distance the only one Jace could make out was endurance.

"Jace…"

The hoarse choked voice had Jace spinning to face Alec. Brown met his heterochromia eyes.

Alec took a stuttering breath, blood trickling from his mouth, it was pouring down his chest from his shoulder. "Let Jonathan go."

_What!? He just stabbed you!_

Jace searched Alec's dark gaze shaking his head back and forth. The amount of blood pouring from Alec's wound overrode his desire to hack the ex-demon to pieces, Jace grabbed his stele drawing the Iratze over Alec's shoulder, peeling the shirt back to draw another sigil along his chest.

_There is too much blood._

Even as Jace applied another rune he could see Alec sagging from rapid blood loss and fatigue.

He shifted to help prop Alec upright.

"Alec! Jace!" Izzy's loud shout echoed through the crater.

Jace could not look up at her, instead stared at the hole in Alec's shoulder, the wound sat closer to Alec's ribcage than Jace was comfortable with, slowly closing from the runes. Thoughts chasing themselves in his mind.

_Bleeding from the mouth, did he nick a lung? Did the lung collapse? Why is it taking so long to heal?_

"Eight…" Alec coughed something vile and tarry up. "Don't leave me." He tried grasping Jace's hand the ichor and blood causing his grip to slip, Jace tightened his hold not letting go. Alec slumped in his arms going mostly limp.

"Finally, something went right." Jonathan said from his side of the room, straightening up from his crouch walking over to the dropped needle scooping it up.

The anger at Jonathan shifted to confusion followed by plain annoyance.

_That's what you did to me!_

"Fucking hell, Jonathan. Ask me next time." Jace said irritated that the red head had played him so well.

Jonathan inspected Jace like he had spoken a different language. "Would you have offered your blood willingly to me if I had said it was for your precious parabati?"

_Not a chance in hell._

Jace did not deign Jonathan a response, instead lifting Alec up and meeting Izzy halfway across the room.

"Magnus is being carried up to the surface by the rest of my team. Magical exhaustion, I think it the rift took too much energy from him to close and hold it off." Izzy informed Jace as she drew an Iratze on her brother's shoulder.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Alec woke in stages. The feel of cool sheets underneath his exposed back, the scent of sandalwood not antiseptic, the sounds of low voices talking.

_Did we succeed?_

The last thing he remembered was the red power sinking into his soul further as the rift closed. The soul amulet on his chest still burned softly.

_I'm not dead._

Alec blinked against the hazy red sparks in his vision.

Jonathan should have killed him removing this problem entirely. Yet the red haired man had not followed the agreement they had arranged if the shadowhunters, Clary, and Magnus all failed.

Alec cracked his eyes open the rest of the way blinking as the familiar surroundings of Magnus's loft came into focus. A rich mahogany dresser with a mirror sat across from him.

He rolled himself to a sitting position. It took more effort than he cared to admit, stitches pulling at his shoulder.

_Magnus didn't use his magic. No Iratze used. Why?_

He refused to look in the mirror not wanting to see how far the black lines had traveled up his arm.

Alec dragged himself out of the room using the wall for support until he made it to the main room.

Jace sat with Izzy on opposite couches both balancing their steles on their noses in some ridiculous challenge. Remnants of a meal sat on the table between them.

"You know I'm going to win regardless." Jace said to Izzy.

"You said best two out of three. If I win, it's a draw and we start over." Izzy responded not dropping the stele from where it was perched on her nose.

Jace noticed Alec leaning on the wall in the doorway.

"Alec!" Jace shouted stele dropping from its awkward perch to the floor with a clatter.

Izzy winced before turning to face her brother.

Alec barely had time to respond before the blonde had barreled into him wrapping strong arms around him in a tight hug.

Alec brought his arms up around Jace leaning back against the wall further so he wouldn't just slide to the floor in exhaustion like his body wanted to.

"Um…what happened?" Alec asked.

Jace searched his gaze carefully. "You don't remember?"

"Simon and Clary weren't able to disable the outer runes before some of the groups fell. It took Magnus and five shadowhunters offering their energy to hold back the power to stop the rift from opening. When Azazel cast that disabling spell Magnus lost control of it for a moment. Magnus thinks that is when either you or Jonathan stepped in to help close the rift." Izzy informed him.

Alec nudged Jace in a silent request to help him get to the couch. Together they made it to the couch where he sat down heavily.

"Did the rift get closed?" Alec asked staring down at his hands. He couldn't remember it fully closing, just the pain running rampant through the parabati rune.

"Yeah, it's closed." Jace said from his side pressing his shoulder against Alec's.

_We won._

The relief that his sacrifice was not for nothing had him leaning back on the couch heavily, a small smile on his lips.

He reached out an arm to lay across the back of the couch allowing for Jace to lean into his body.

Izzy glanced between the two of them, a gentle smile forming. "I'm going to go get Magnus and the others now that you are awake. You've been out a couple days since the transfusion." Izzy said as she got up.

Alec glanced at Jace, he knew without even asking who would have given him blood.

Jace gave him a lopsided grin. "Yeah, you need to stop trying to kill yourself. I'm about to shackle our wrists together so you can't. Actually might request Magnus for a pair of handcuffs. I'm sure he has some laying around." Jace said interlinking their hands, the stark contrast of Jace's golden skin against the black veins in Alec's had him pulling back.

_With your rotation of girls I think you have some at home too._

Alec did not speak his thoughts, knowing it would throw them both off again and into dangerous heated territory.

Jace growled annoyed and tugged him back, Alec relented leaning into Jace too exhausted to fight.

"You are incredibly lucky Jace has type O blood." Izzy said as she strode back into the room, she glanced over her brother. "You still look like shit."

_Thanks, sis._

Alec shot her half a glare, but it softened too quickly to have any impact.

Magnus and Jonathan followed after Izzy.

"Normally I would send you off to the Spiral Labyrinth, preferably in chains and maybe several seals." Magnus said as he entered. "But they managed to convince me you won't be a threat so long as your parabati bond is never broken. Maybe chain you two together." He waved an arm towards Alec. "Care to explain how you and Jonathan helped close the rift? Your friend does not care to enlighten me."

_Not particularly._

Magnus gave a drawn out sigh. "Alexander, I'm trying to help you. Talking does make things incredibly easier." Magnus said.

Magnus snapped his hand out summoning an orb of blue electric power sending it to hover in front of Alec.

Alec quirked an eyebrow up at Magnus. "I'm not going to eat it." He told Magnus flatly.

Jace huffed out a short laugh.

"Is there a point to this?" Alec snapped suddenly irritated at the situation and the memory of attacking Magnus weeks ago.

Jace rubbed a thumb along the inside of Alec's arm.

_Of course, the black veins._

"You are healing with the Iratze slowly. Hence, the stitches. The blood transfusions have worked the most but Jace cannot give any more without endangering his health." Izzy informed him. "Now that you are awake we can portal you home to the Institute."

"He's not insane at least." Jonathan chimed in near the window he had wandered over to keeping several couches and people between himself and Jace.

_Yeah, you were supposed to kill me._

The thought did not sit well, curdling his empty stomach. He had prepared himself mentally to die during that mission if the other three backup plans did not work. By all rights, Jonathan should have followed through on his promise.

Alec looked his sister in her dark brown eyes ready to tell her he was fine. Exhaustion in every limb and would need to figure out a way to stem the current in his arm again, but fine.

_Just fine._

"Izzy, I'm going to be alright. You were correct weeks ago when you said it's similar to yin-fen. You controlled yourself until the need faded. I can-" Alec began explaining to Izzy.

"Bullshit." Jace snapped interrupting him.

"Jace…" Alec said warningly.

"No. You never had it under control. Magnus should shackle us together then you can't get into trouble." Jace said it like it was the most logical plan.

Because that was an image Alec wanted to keep in his head, not advertised to the entire Institute. The things people would assume from that.

Magnus just raised his eyebrows at the statement with a small smile flickering across his face.

"No one is shackling me to anyone." Alec indignantly stated, refusing to look at Jace because he could feel the heat radiating off his body like it would leave a permanent imprint on him now.

"Could stick bells on him like you did to me. Bet that won't leave as much of a lasting impression on the meetings he'll hold as partial head of the Institute." Jonathan drawled from his spot a small smirk forming at his mouth.

Alec took a breath before turning to face Jonathan.

"Care to explain?" Alec said flatly knowing full well Johnathan understood what he was actually asking him and it had nothing to do with bells and shackles.

Jonathan shrugged. "You are delightfully interesting to keep around. Besides I wanted to keep my head attached when Jace destroyed Azazel. Call it self-preservation." He said casually.

Alec felt as Jace wrapped his hand around his wrist followed by something cold.

He twisted his arm free of Jace's grasp but not before Jace had succeed in his mission of securing a metal handcuff to his wrist which lead to one on Jace's wrist.

Shock struck him a moment before disbelief that Jace actually followed through on the stupid inane idea.

"You're joking." Alec hissed, whipping back to search Jace's face.

Jace appeared mildly apprehensive about the idea but he could see the stubborn set in his jaw that said Alec was not getting out of this.

"Just until we release the rest of it." Jace stated simply as if the idea of being shackled to Alec had zero effect on him.

_Release it._

Alec felt his face heating up and he dropped his gaze to the floor so the others in the room would not notice his blush. Which just brought his attention to the silver handcuff.

He was starting to feel light headed from the exhaustion and blood pounding through his body. "Can we go home before the gets any more mortifying? Jace take this off, I'm not going anywhere." Alec asked.

Izzy said something about packing up her stuff but he could hear the laughter in her voice.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

"I can't believe you. And I can't believe you are supporting this stupid idea." Alec told Jace and Izzy, respectively.

They had managed to get from Magnus's loft home without incident and into Jace's room without anyone noticing the stupid shackle.

He could feel anxiety, irritation, and something else coming through the bond from Jace's end and it was serving nothing to help his current mood as it warred between feeling hotly aroused by the idea and a desire to get as far from Jace as possible.

Izzy set the chess set on Alec's bed she had brought from Alec's room.

"Alec, you know we love you. But, you have been a bit of a loose cannon since Edom. Jace is right, we need to ensure you stay put for a few days." Izzy said gently. "Not sure how you managed to sneak out before either." She muttered.

Jace tugged on his arm leading him towards the bed. Alec went only because his breath was locked in his lungs, a swooping fear starting to crawl through his body slowly.

"Alec, breath. It's not the end of the world. Besides you told me do not leave you. I intend to hold you to that order." Jace informed him starting to set up the chess set.

His breath remained frozen in his lungs, there went any chance to sneak out if Jace held to that, which based on the desperate coil of metal wrapped around his wrist, definitely was not happening.

_Could just rip his clothes off like you want to._

The dark voice in his head he had insistently ignored. Ok, mostly, not at all ignored, only drawing the line when Jace put one down.

_Which just makes me want him more._

Even with everything they had already done Alec still could not admit that Jace might have changing feelings towards him. It was too desperate to consider, to do so would make him want more than Jace had allowed already.

_Does not change the fact you already do want more._

Alec tugged on the shackle. "Just get this off me. You proved your point. Besides I intend to sleep the next day away." He told Jace.

_Sleep longer if I can._

He could sense Jace and Izzy exchanging glances.

He did not care anymore what they thought. Between Edom and the chrysalis and all the demons he was certain there was no chance to recover from the hooks he could feel that power tearing into his body. The soul amulet burning against his chest along with the burn from the parabati rune.

He curled up on the bed ignoring the chess set.

"Alec, I'm taking a blood sample. It's going to be alright." Izzy said nearing him on the bed.

Exhaustion was starting to pull him back under towards blissful darkness, away from the renewed need and craving.

He felt the tiny prick of the needle going into his arm, turned his head away into the pillow as unexpected tears began to fill his eyes.

"You sure about staying here the whole night?" Izzy questioned Jace.

Jace cleared his throat once. "Yeah, I'm sure. Tell Maryse to take me off duty for another week." The blonde said.

"I'll give you a couple days. You can take it up with her about more." Izzy responded.

Alec heard her leave before darkness claimed him.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Jace dragged Alec to the piano room the next day. Sunlight streaming in through the windows brightly shining yellow beams across the floor.

He had unshackled Alec from himself for showers and morning rituals and had decided to keep it off so long as Alec remained within the same room as himself. An annoyingly difficult choice since all he wanted to do was masturbate and gain some relief from sleeping next to Alec all night.

"Sit somewhere, do some meditating. I'm practicing." Jace suggested to Alec.

Jace watched Alec slide down one of the walls to sit in one of the sunlight beams pulling his leather jacket off to reveal his arm to the sun's power before tilting his head back against the wall eyes closed.

_Even after all that sleep he still looks exhausted._

Jace hit a couple of the keys on the piano. Letting the emotions from it wash through him first before focusing on playing Chopin before shifting to a newer song by Ji Pyeong Kwon. He had learned the song due to Simon's obsession with anime and it reminded him of Alec.

"You know for meditation music that song is depressing." Alec mentioned after Jace had completed the song but there was something broken in his voice as if he had been crying.

"I told you, I will not live if you die. And you went into that mission with a death wish." Jace replied not turning to look at Alec, allowing him time to compose himself.

He heard Alec huff out a derisive laugh at himself. "Yeah, Jonathan did not even follow through with that. And it still hurts. Jace, I don't think I was supposed to come back from Edom or the chrysalis or the mission the other day. I can feel this power eating away at me."

Jace turned around on the piano bench to face his dark haired parabati raking his eyes over his form sitting in the sunlight.

He dismissed the thought he really wanted to ask Alec.

"Does the sun help?" Jace asked instead.

Alec gave a hum of acknowledgement, twisting his arm in the sunlight to expose another side to it. "It doesn't take it away, just soothing."

Jace crossed the room grabbing his stele from his back pocket before kneeling in front of Alec. Sliding his hand down Alec's arm before turning his hand up to draw the angelic symbol onto his wrist, moving a few inches higher along the dark veins and redrawing another.

"This helping?" Jace questioned softly.

Alec responded with a soft hum, head lolling to the side.

"Jonathan really did want to help you in his own way didn't he?" Jace asked.

"Hm. Yeah, remaking him has changed his philosophy on life. Life is a struggle. Rebuild his life with Clary. Kill as many demons as he can in revenge." Alec blinked his dark eyes open to search Jace's face. "Why do you want to know?"

_Because you trust him with your life._

"You are friends with him and as your parabati I want to get to know him. What is your philosophy on life now?" Jace pressed Alec running his hand along Alec's arm lightly.

Alec closed his eyes. "Control it. Rebuild my soul in some functional capacity that doesn't feel like I have it shredded." Alec huffed out a laugh. "I hate dichotomy you know, the struggle of everything around us fighting the opposite just to scrape out an existence that won't mean a thing."

_Well, some of that was fucking confusing but at least he's talking._

Jace shifted so he could sit down next to Alec pressing his shoulder against Alec.

"You know we're kind of a dichotomy. Two souls always needing the other but ultimately we are one soul." Jace said.

Alec tilted his head shooting Jace a strange confused look. "Jace, that's the opposite of dichotomy then." Alec informed him.

"Awesome. I've already upended one of your philosophies and it's not even noon yet. Come on let's go train Simon and Clary and then we can go work on boring paperwork in your office." Jace stood up holding out a hand to Alec, which he grasped and hauled him to his feet.

_Fuck, they were to close._

Jace swallowed eyes dropping to Alec's lips, he refused to move.

Not after their argument before the battle which had ended with him desperately tearing at Alec before they were interrupted.

"Jace…" Alec whispered bringing his hand up to grip the back of Jace's neck hand tightening but not moving Jace away or forward.

Jace felt himself sway forward the same moment Alec tilted his head down.

They clashed in heat, fire igniting in Jace's blood at the feel of Alec pressed to him.

He shoved Alec hard against the wall behind him, crowding into his body trying to burn his presence into Alec's mouth with his tongue. Jace pushed Alec's arm above his head holding him still against the wall, the sound Alec let out from that had Jace rolling his hips into him on a grind.

Jace mentally noted that restraining Alec gave such a response and fully intended to use it later.

Alec shifted from Jace's mouth to bite down Jace's neck locating a spot and sucking hard.

"Fuck, Alec." Jace hissed out, head falling back.

_Just keep doing that. Let me inside you again until I force the darkness out and only I'm inside you._

Jace brought his head up enough to drag Alec into another heated kiss, quickly gaining ferocity as their hips moved against each other sending blistering friction through Jace's body.

Alec slid his hand around Jace's throat pushing him back away, the grip loose but Jace found feel Alec's fingers flexing and relaxing against his skin.

"I'm not going to stop until I tear you up." Alec panted out harshly.

The blatant warning did nothing to slow the burning blood in Jace's body if anything it made the burn go higher.

_Oh hell, I want that._

The realization pulled him up short panting into Alec's mouth, nudging their mouths together slower this time.

Jace pushed his throat into Alec's hand feeling Alec's arm give way rather than risk hurting him.

An idea forming in his mind.

"You know sparring is going to be painful now." Jace offered in an attempt to slow them down.

Alec pressed his face into Jace's neck, mouthing against exposed skin lazily. "Sparring is supposed to be painful. You don't learn without some painful lesson." Alec replied voice still deep and husky distracting Jace from attempting to back off long enough to think clearly.

_Yeah, painful lesson received. Loud and clear, don't start something you won't finish._

Jace ran his hand up Alec's arm tracing the lines there until they disappeared under his shirt, trailing his hand back down until he gripped Alec's wrist.

_He doesn't suspect a thing._

Jace could not keep the amused twitch of his lips off his face, saw caution enter Alec's brown eyes a moment before Jace pushed his leg between Alec's, hooked his knee around Alec's and tugged sharply. Jace twisted as they toppled to the ground in a heap ensuring he came up on top.

Alec glared up at him.

"Did we learn a painful lesson?" Jace questioned smugly leaning forward to place his hands on either side of Alec's head.

Alec bucked underneath him. "Ungh. Fuck you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Dark Stained Soul**

**Ch 6**

By: Evey

The sharp sound of Clary and Simon's weapons against his own helped drown out his raging heartbeat, clearing his mind from the incessant ache.

He had given Simon permission to use his vampire speed today, which the geeky vampire had used gleefully.

The constant attacks allowed Jace to disengage his mind from Alec and focus on training the two before him.

Alec had done some work on his tablet for the Institute before wandering over to the punching bag, jabbing into it as if he could incinerate the bag if he could punch it hard enough.

Clary's sword sliced by his head as he leaned back out of range of the sharp edge, close enough that Jace could feel the light breeze over his skin.

"Almost had you." Clary grinned.

Jace felt a cocky smile form, tapped the inside of her thigh with the blade he had placed there deflecting an attack from Simon with a hard clack of metal against wood behind him with his free arm.

"You know, why don't we get Alec on our side?" Simon asked attempting to hit Jace with the wooden practice batons several times. The wood sent rippling reverberations up Jace's arms. When Jace deflected all of the attacks Simon turned to Alec. "Hey, Alec. Come join us and kick Jace's ass." Simon called.

Alec glanced over from the punching bag, eyes locking on Jace.

Jace found himself needing to swallow.

"You guys want help giving him a lesson? I thought he was supposed to be teaching you." Alec commented unwrapping the bindings around his wrists, underlying heat wrapped around Jace from that voice.

"Well, mostly we just want you to distract him enough so we can land a hit. Call it teamwork training." Simon clarified spinning his wooden practice batons around in his hands.

_Oh, I'll be plenty distracted._

Alec smiled at him.

The parabati rune hummed softly, sensing their souls moving closer.

_Yeah, I'm so dead._

Jace just wanted the other two gone so he could pin Alec to the ground and watch that smile directed at him.

Alec picked up two practice swords resting one over his back as he prowled towards Jace.

"Ready for a painful lesson?" Alec smirked at him, dropping one of the blades to point towards the floor, the other remained casually across his back.

Jace felt his mouth go dry, heartbeat picking up pace.

The first attack Jace only deflected because of training reflex. The second attack he bent his knees duking before lifting his blade in an overhead attack which Alec deflected. The third he sensed movement in his peripheral vision, Jace reversed the grip on the sword using the pommel to wind Simon in the diaphragm when the vampire came at him pushing Jace to his knees with the force of the blow.

Clary attacked him when he was on his knees and he threw a hand behind to support himself on the floor as he deflected her blow.

A foot collided with his chest sending him sprawling backwards and Alec was on top of him, hot muscular body pressing him down, just a few inches from where Jace wanted him.

"Tap out." Alec ordered a laughing smile crossing his face.

"Not a chance in hell." Jace smirked back, dropping his weapons before and wrapping his legs around Alec curling up to wrap around Alec's neck.

Jace heard the harsh inhale a moment before his parabati rune heated with arousal. He took full advantage of Alec's distraction and reversed their positions using the intended grapple to pin Alec down.

"Tap out." Jace challenged back locking them in place so Alec could not move even if he tried. Legs wrapped around Alec neck and using his body weight to hold Alec down.

Jace could see Clary and Simon hovering unsure how to engage without actually hurting them now that they were grappling on the floor, arms locked with Alec's arms removing the ability to throw Jace off him.

Alec winced slightly as more pressure was applied to the injured shoulder.

"Nice to see you two still fight like idiots." Izzy said as she strode into the room. "Even with a busted shoulder. Simon stay for a second. Jace, get up I need to talk to you. Alec, Clary mom wants you in her office."

Jace had the irrational urge to clip the handcuff back on Alec so he could not escape his sight.

_It is one meeting and you can drag Izzy along halfway there._

Jace had not moved from his spot pinning Alec to the ground, heat radiating up through his body from Alec trapped underneath.

"Sure, once Alec taps out." Jace called to her not looking away from Alec.

Alec's jaw tightened, an irritated growl escaping as he struggled for a moment sending waves of heat through Jace, before Alec dropped his head back on the floor, rolling his eyes in defeat and tapping his hand against Jace's thigh where Jace had it locked tightly.

"Well, we're terrible. Three against one and he still beats us. He's never going to let me use real weapons." Simon mourned sounding annoyed at the loss.

Jace released Alec standing up so he towered over his parabati, stepping over to Izzy as Alec rolled to his feet.

Jace scanned Alec's body only tearing his gaze away when Clary spoke.

"Yeah, Alec as his parabati I figured you would know how to keep him busy for us." Clary said an odd lilt to her voice that Jace recognized as jealousy.

_Thank the Angel for training reflexes._

Alec gave a grunt that neither confirmed nor denied the failure, rolling his shoulder against the stitches.

Jace glanced over at the red head. Her green eyes were studying him, drifting towards Alec and back to Jace with something akin to hurt in her eyes.

"Not everyone can be as good as me. Besides, he was the only one to actually get under my guard and hit me." Jace threw his best cocky voice towards her redirecting her attention away from whatever she had just picked up on.

"Come on, Fray. Maryse is waiting." Alec called over his shoulder towards Clary as he threw his leather jacket on followed by the dark glove concealing the dark lines across his arm.

"I don't think in all the time I've known you I've seen you two practice together. Is it always like that?" Clary bluntly asked Jace, blatantly ignoring Alec.

_Rife with sexual tension? No, that is a new development._

Alec left not bothering to wait for Clary as Jace felt his face start to heat uncharacteristically.

Izzy saved him.

"They get much worse. Especially, when they get into sync with the parabati battle bond." Izzy casually stated, tapping her fingers against her arm impatiently. "Now move your ass. Alec won't treat you like a queen like Jace did."

Once Clary had left, Izzy rounded on Jace and Simon hands on her hips.

_Shit, she wants something._

"We are throwing a birthday party for Clary. Alec too, since his is the following month. Sort of a joint thing." Izzy crossed her arms in the doorway, a sentry to her cause. "I figured it would be something fun for her before Jonathan is sent back to the Silent City."

Simon appeared totally on board with the idea. A massive grin stretching across his face, head cocked to the side as he started thinking up ideas.

"Clary would love that. She would want something either related to art or new weapons. We need to make sure Jonathan is still here for it. No bells though or blue." Simon rambled eagerly.

"Is that what Maryse wanted them for? Jonathan's dismissal?" Jace asked placing the practice weapons back on their respective racks.

Izzy shrugged unsure. "Probably, it would make sense now that the reason he was sent to the Institute has been dealt with." Izzy said. "Alec told me he is working on lengthening Jonathan's stay but considering all his past actions it's unlikely."

_Good riddance._

The strange feeling of both relief and useless regret crawled through him.

So they both shared in mass genocide. Jace had committed it on accident when he picked up the soul sword killing the Downworlders, Jonathan had performed his murders intentionally.

Jace pushed the regret away, Jonathan did not deserve it. The fact he kept dropping his guard around an ex-demon proved just how dangerous Jonathan truly was and Jace refused to watch the man destroy him again.

"You know Alec is going to hate a party thrown for him?" Jace told Izzy heading out the door to follow Alec and Clary. Izzy fell into step with him, Simon followed as well.

Izzy wrapped her arms around both of them, tugging them both close to herself. "Which is why we aren't telling him. He's been withdrawn and cranky enough since Edom and I intend to break him out of that shell he's encased himself in again." Izzy declared.

_Good luck with that. I still have whiplash from all my attempts and I feel like I barely make a dent most days. Even with every line we have crossed and blurred as parabati._

"Could get him a stripper." Suggested Simon with a grin.

Jace flatly glared at him. The thought of Alec with anyone else half naked, Jace might commit murder if that happened.

Izzy just rolled her eyes.

"Simon, this is Alec we are talking about. He barely managed to figure out how to date Magnus." Izzy cast a glance towards Jace.

Simon shrugged easily, playful grin still in place. "He got better at it." Simon's grin fell into a frown. "Well, you know, until he just seemed to forget about Magnus. We aren't inviting Magnus or are we? Because that might get awkward. Does Alec have amnesia?"

Simon's gaze snapped to Jace's his eyes wide.

Jace realized he actually did not know the answer to that. The parabati bond had been driving him towards Alec and when they did connect, well Magnus and Alec's past engagement never entered his mind, instead all Jace had ended up doing was digging himself into a hole filled with feelings and touches he never wanted to crawl out of.

_What was I thinking?_

That was the problem. He had not thought, just dove headfirst into the chaos of their parabati bond, each and every time. And each and every time he left more of himself locked with Alec.

"No, Alec does not have amnesia. The Silent Brother, Brother Zachariah, checked for that before releasing him into the Institute." Izzy informed Simon.

_Thank the Angel._

They were nearing the Head Institutes office that Jace had been forcing the others to walk towards if they wanted to continue the conversation.

"So where is this party going to be held?" Jace asked, curious where Izzy could find something that would match Clary's spitfire and Alec's reserved personalities.

"I've tossed ideas around. Pandemonium, art institute, a spa," Jace made a face at "spa", Izzy continued on cheerily. "one of those gun ranges the mundanes use, I don't know yet."

Jace picked up the sounds of shouting coming from the Head Institutes office.

_Clary probably._

Jace pushed the door open without knocking.

"You can't just kill him!" Clary shouted at Maryse as the door swung open.

Maryse turned her stern gaze towards Jace, Izzy, and Simon hovered awkwardly in the doorway. She gave a sharp shake to her head for them to leave.

Jace strolled into the room sitting down on the couch off to the side, Alec stood in parade rest and Clary had her hands on the rich wooden desk as if she intended to leap over it at Maryse. He ignored the warning glare he received from Maryse for disobeying.

"Jonathan killed hundreds. I told you this before, he would go to the Silent City for rehabilitation and then be given his punishment." Maryse's voice held an iron edge to it.

Alec's face remained granite-like. "Jonathan has proved incredibly useful towards understanding how to deal with demons as well as providing new ways to heal poisons from wounds our soldiers receive. Our last mission would not have been succeeded if not for him. Our world would not be here. Killing him would remove a bank of knowledge the Shadowhunter community as a whole requires."

Maryse gave her son a brittle smile. "The Clave wants him back for experimental purposes to understand how he was changed."

"There is nothing in his blood for them to find. If they could find it, they would have found it during his first trip to the Silent City." Alec said tightly, body unmoving.

"I have no control over that. They think he is hiding something." Maryse rubbed at her forehead briefly before dropping her arm back to the desk.

"He's not!" cried Clary in indignation, red hair flying as she shook her head.

"Then have the Clave assign him to me. I took down Edom. They'll respect that, use it as leverage that I control Jonathan." Alec calmly requested, Jace could hear the tension underneath the tone.

Jace folded his arms across his chest to appear more relaxed and assured than he currently felt towards this conversation.

Maryse paused studying Alec, she pulled a piece of parchment towards herself. Her voice dropped to a more motherly tone. "Alec, why do you insist on keeping him around after everything he did to Jace and Clary, to our world? I thought you of all people would want him gone."

Alec took a breath, Jace could see him steeling himself against a decision.

"Everyone out. Jace stay." Alec ordered.

_Shit. Don't say it._

Jace was already on his feet, gripping Alec's arm. "Alec, you can't." Jace hissed quietly.

"Can't what?" Maryse questioned sharply, eyes burning into the pair.

Izzy shoved Simon out the door with a loud click, but Clary remained stubbornly where she stood.

Alec took a breath, meeting Maryse's gaze. "Jonathan is a normal shadowhunter because I remade him from scratch using the energy the souls of Edom imparted me when I broke the seals. The Clave won't find anything in him. All you will do is torture someone whose soul is not infected anymore and it will not give you the answers to those seals in Edom." Alec stated devoid of emotion.

Maryse paled turning a putrice color so rapidly that Jace thought she might be sick any moment.

Clary gaped at Alec all her self-righteous energy for Jonathan gone with the statement.

Jace dropped his hand away from Alec fighting an inane desire to drag him bodily from this conversation because nothing good could come of this.

"No wonder he's so loyal to you." Clary whispered into the silence.

Jace would disagree with Jonathan's definition of what constituted loyalty, but right now he was staring at Alec in disbelief that he had actually given Maryse that portion of truth.

"Based on Jace's traumatized expression I assume this little secret is now held only between the four people in this room." Maryse managed to sound sternly half amused rather than livid but then her voice hardened. "Which circles back to the question you always dodge, Alec."

"You taught me to survive. I did." Alec said rigidly hands clenched behind his back staring Maryse down.

Maryse's lips thinned into a line. "He held the soul sword when he said you died. Forgive a mother for not being able to let that statement go."

Alec leaned forward into her space. "And yet here I am. Alive. Drop. It."

"As your Head of this Institute I'm ordering you to disclose it." Maryse replied sternly.

Alec stood up to his full height staring down at his mother. "No. You ensure Jonathan stays here at this Institute, out of the Clave's grasp and I will give you the answers you want."

Jace turned his head to stare at Alec, he could not possibly be thinking of revealing what he thought he intended to disclose.

He could feel Maryse studying himself, Alec, and Clary before her. Clary still appeared to be in shock staring at Alec like she had never seen him before.

"You focus on removing that stain on your arm. I will have a group of Clave representatives here to examine this Institute, Jonathan, and yourself. You will be dealing with them. If there is knowledge you or Jonathan are holding back you best inform me now." Maryse said writing something down on the paperwork before her.

Alec gave her a short smile.

"Then we have an agreement." Alec replied.

Maryse picked up her stamp and with a thud sealed the approval of Clave representatives into their Institute.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

_Well, this is awkward._

Jace had thought his double date with Clary, Simon, and Maia had gone terribly. This lunch was ten times worse and it was just three of them.

_Yeah, you slept with both of them and one of them is supposed to be forbidden. And the other thinks you are working on yourself and single._

Technically he and Alec were not dating, that was a mild term to what had been going on. And slept with Alec was probably putting it gently since he was certain their souls had been involved in a couple of those passionate moments.

Jace snuck a glance towards Alec seated in the dingy red restaurant booth, noting the creases of tension and exhaustion still etched on his face since that morning.

Clary had already given her grateful speech to Alec, one Jace witnessed him smoothly accept treating it like a delegation rather than something heartfelt. Clary had taken the tension from Alec as him being himself and had brushed it off telling Jace she had a gift for him but needed to draw it first.

Now Clary sat across from himself and Alec drawing in her sketchpad. Alec sipped at some juice pushing away his half eaten plate of food.

Jace took another bite of his food.

_At least the food here is good._

She had insisted on bringing them out to eat after the discussion in Maryse's office, saying she felt an apology was due to Alec for all her insubordination and questioning his orders when he had given so much for her brother. The place she had dragged them was clearly mundane and the waitress had gaped openly at their runes, thinking them tattoos, for a moment before she regained her senses enough to treat them like normal customers.

"Here." Clary tore out the sheet she had been working on handing it over to Jace.

Jace took it reflexively spinning the page around before halting, heterochromia gaze shooting up to Clary's green in confusion.

"You asked for one right before we got Alec and Jonathan back." Clary put her writing pad, pencils and charcoal back into her backpack, rifling around for something else.

Jace stared back down at the page, a still of Alec encapsulated in granite and charcoal. It was not any epic like she had drawn Jace as, but of Alec sitting on the floor of the training room looking towards something off the page and laughing.

Jace could not tell when Clary had even seen Alec like this and relaxed.

Alec glanced at the page before giving Jace a strangely gentle look. "You asked her to draw me?"

Vulnerability crashed through him, the awareness that Alec knew of the request made Jace hunch over the picture shielding it from Alec's view.

"You were not there and I had no idea if you were even alive then." Jace murmured, still staring at the drawing of happiness.

Clary drew out a manila folder, handing it to Jace which he took and placed the drawing inside to keep it from creasing until he got back to the Institute.

"What was it like rebuilding Jonathan?" Clary blurted the question into the calm that had settled after the drawn gift.

Jace slid the folder to the side out of Alec's reach, leaning back to gauge Alec's reaction to the question.

Alec had stiffened in his seat, hand coming up to press into his arm harshly through the leather jacket, digging with blunt nails.

_Damn, you are going to make me chase you down again. That's supposed to be your job, I'm getting exhausted._

Jace reached out enclosing his hand over Alec's wrist.

Alec met Jace's gaze before turning to Clary giving her a tight smile. "Jonathan was easier to piece together than it's been for me to rein your flying solo missions in."

The deflected part answer left Clary appearing torn between a real smile and wanting to push for the true answer.

Alec clenched his fist against the table. "We're done here. We all have duties to return to today. The cleanup across the city and I need to figure out what I'm going to inform those Clave dignitaries." Alec turned in his seat expecting Jace to move out of the booth.

Jace refused to move.

"Jace, move." Alec said.

Jace leaned back in the booth keeping his grip on Alec blocking him in.

"I want to know too. You don't really talk about it." Jace pushed.

Alec gripped Jace's hand wrapped around his wrist, Jace squeezed back harder before loosening his grip and rubbing a soothing circle along Alec's wrist.

"There's nothing to talk about, I've told you enough." Alec snapped suddenly angry, yanking his wrist from Jace's grip.

_Yeah abundantly, that I still don't understand the whole picture enough to push that power out of you for good._

"Alec, we're all here for you. You were there for me and Jace when everything went to shit. Nothing bad is even happening right now. I just want to know more about my brother." Clary gently said from her side of the table, green eyes jumping from Alec to Jace.

Alec collapsed back against the booth, rubbing the back of his neck then his hand over his face before dropping his hand to his side staring at the table.

Silence beat through them for a time.

"The souls ripped apart his body, left his soul open to be torn to shreds by Edom's power. I couldn't…I couldn't just watch another soul die. Not when he did not have a choice for being that way. Not when the rest of them felt so much fear and hate before skyrocketing towards Heaven. Jonathan could not follow, the demonic essence inside his blood would not let him. He gave me enough of a boost to last through the breaking of the seals and his torture matched the souls. I could not let him die." Alec spoke mostly to the table, but had not removed his wrist from Jace's grasp.

_So you sacrificed yourself to make it right, when Jonathan should have been born a regular Shadowhunter._

A light tremble ran through Alec's arm, Jace squeezed Alec's wrist gently to continue.

Silence.

_Alright I guess enough pushing with Clary around._

"Come on, let's head home. Clary is right. We don't have any massive demon attacks happening right now." Jace said.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Jace was absolutely correct about zero demon attacks. He was wrong about nothing interesting going on.

_Seriously, Seelies._

Well, not exactly Seelies. Just their ridiculously annoying floral plants that had managed to spill out into central park conveniently on their way home. Thick vines and bright flowers twisted and crawled across the small bridge they had intended to cross.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere near it. Last time I got near Seelie plants one tried strangling me to death." Jace said spinning his blade around in case one of the twisting vines ventured near.

Alec eyed the plants in front of them warily as they slithered along the ground.

_Can't burn them without insulting the Seelies._

He typed a message to Izzy to get in touch with Meliorn about loose Seelie plants in Central Park, his vision swam again.

_I should have taken a nap rather than chose to spar with Jace._

Even with the thought Alec could not bring himself to regret it. For that moment suspended in time he felt normal, the ache in his shoulder from the stitches the only reminder that he was not still in a dream.

_Would like to remain in a dream permanently lately._

"Aww, shit. They are luring mundanes in." Jace commented from his side.

Clary took a couple steps forward peering into the park before spinning on the two of them. "Can we burn the vines? Stop the pollen somehow?"

"No, it's a revel. Meant to lure mundanes in to replenish their population." Alec informed her, his stomach dropped sensing the incoming argument from the fiery redhead.

Clary did not disappoint. Well, she did just not in the yelling at Alec way he expected.

Instead she dashed across the street drawing a large rune in the air.

Alec's eyed widened, his shout forming to late as Clary pushed the massive fire rune she had drawn straight into the mess of pollinating vines meant to lure mundanes into the Seelie realm.

The vines erupted into flames sending a gout of pollen into the air all at once, swathing all of them in a coating of iridescent glowing bits.

Alec wiped some off his arm, drawing an anti-venom rune over the clear patch praying it would take effect since it covered most poisons as well. He already felt woozy enough to begin with without being intoxicated on Seelie drugs. He could see Jace glowing brightly beside him, activating all his runes at once with a thought.

"Guys?" Clary was bent over in front of them having been the closest to the blast. "I don't feel good."

_Neither do I._

Alec took a step towards Clary and felt the world wobble dangerously.

"Maybe if you hadn't burned up everything filled with pollen at once." Growled Alec sinking to his knees and catching himself on his hands. He was going to be sick he could feel the bile at the back of his throat as the rune tried to expunge the toxic pollen from his system just as quickly as it was being absorbed by his skin.

Jace fared better than either himself or Clary. Alec felt mild jealousy spike at the extra enhanced angel blood running through Jace's veins allowing Jace to remain coherent, not incapacitated.

_Helpless. Not good enough to ward off the Seelie's charms._

Alec could feel the pull from the Seelie pollen to stand up and sprint into the burning vines before him, a hand on his shoulder stopped him as Jace knelt next to him stele in other hand.

After redrawing the anti-venom rune on Alec, Jace moved to Clary to draw the rune on her.

She passed out about halfway through the rune Jace drew on her skin.

"Just need to get you both to the infirmary for a chemical bath." Jace said confidently though there was a tremble to his voice as Alec felt his body being hauled up from the ground, the rest became a blur.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The sound of someone slurping noisily through a straw tugged Jace awake. Jace jolted upright, wincing instantly at the pain in his neck from whatever horrid angle he had been laying in.

"Aww. Sleeping beauty is awake." Simon's voice chirped.

Jace winced again, because of course Simon would be the one to witness more of his mortification. He flinched as every nerve ending screamed at him about the soreness of his skin.

He brought his arm up to inspect the bright pink color that now coated every inch of his body.

"Ow." Simon said in mock sympathy waving his blood packet around that served as his meal.

Jace completely agreed. Upon arriving at the Institute hauling a passed out Clary and a nearly catatonic Alec had not been easy. The medics had swarmed them, carrying Clary off, marching Alec off, and stripped Jace of all his clothing taking his favorite leather jacket and burning it along with everything else, drawing from Clary included, then they had scrubbed him down, dumped him in a shower that scalded his skin only to repeat the process, five more times.

_More like an agony rune five times._

Then stuck him in a temporary quarantine until the medics were certain he would not go frolicking off to join the revel of love making the Seelies had set up. In quarantine they had dumped flower scented oil all over his skin until he smelled like a girl before leaving him to marinate in it before finally allowing him to dress in a hospital gown and leave to the next torture chamber.

Sometime during the following treatment to search for any traces of Seelie magic on his skin Izzy and Simon had arrived. They were not allowed to visit Alec or Clary due to complications.

_Because of course smelling like fucking flowers and covered in oil was not enough a knock to my pride._

His pride did not save him from another two rounds in the acid bath of scalding chemicals and water. Only to return to Simon and Izzy and around then is when he drew a blank.

_At least I'm dressed._

Jace glanced around the sterile room. Izzy was pacing back and forth and Simon was seated where Jace presumed his head had just been laying.

_Did I pass out?_

"What happened? How's Alec?" Jace asked instead of that mortifying question.

Simon chuckled. "You fainted- elegantly."

Jace clenched his jaw not responding to the clear jibe.

"Alec and Clary are both still in recovery. No we can't see them yet I just asked thirty minutes ago." Izzy said mid pace phone in hand talking to someone, presumably Maryse, and half paying attention to Jace and Simon.

Jace rubbed at his sore neck. "Did I hit something?"

"Nah, I caught you. Very damsel in distress kind of fall. I didn't know you were so romantic. Slept in my arms peacefully and everything." Simon could barely suppress the grin forming, sharp vampire canines showing.

_And I thought I had embarrassed myself enough with Simon. Stupid chair of shame and now this._

"Don't get used to it." Jace replied.

_Based on the crick in my neck you are a terrible pillow. I almost feel sorry for Izzy._

Unless the vampire had maliciously placed Jace awkwardly. Jace glanced at Simon, no Simon was to kind to do something like that.

Simon handed him a package of cookies and a juice pack. "Well, don't just stare at it. I certainly can't eat this stuff." Simon said waving the packages at Jace.

Jace took the offered food and wolfed it down faster than he realized he would.

Izzy snapped her phone shut.

"Well, Clary tried ripping the clothes off one of our male medics and then tried to eat the plant in her recovery room. Alec broke two of our staff's arms and put another in the infirmary, broke three doors before they were able to sedate him and finish the decontamination procedure. Jace, once he's done they want his parabati in the room at least. They are hoping it will curb the violence."

Jace grimaced he could take exactly one guess why Alec was flipping out like that.

_They probably have him strapped down._

Just so long as he does not release that power in his arm Alec should be alright. Jace had chosen to hold off, wanting Alec to heal his shoulder before doing anything that required a lot less clothing. More because he wanted to talk to Alec about it beforehand.

_Simon is right, I'm a romantic._

Jace tossed the empty cookie container in the trash, sipping at his juice. "So why am I not..." Jace waved an arm in the direction of the door.

"Completely retardedly insane?" Simon questioned.

_Yeah that._

Izzy answered. "Special angel blood. Probably why you were able to haul both their drugged asses home. Seriously, whose idea was it to jump in an active pit of Seelie vines?" Izzy stood with her hands on her hips sending Jace a death glare.

"Hey! It was not my idea to do anything. Clary had the brilliant idea to use a fire rune and blast everything to pieces. You have any idea the size of that spore cloud she released. I'm surprised the three of us are not all locked in the Seelie realm as brood horses right now."

Simon snorted back a laugh, covering his mouth with one hand.

Izzy raised one eyebrow. "Wow, I suppose you got lucky and did not have any of your book club waiting on the other side. Or were Alec and Clary a sufficient distraction from the Seelie realm?"

"You know I broke up with Clary. Not much of a distraction now." Jace reminded frowning at her annoyed at the Book Club comment, finishing off his juice.

Simon chuckled. "So it was just Alec swaying you from jumping into the arms of a bunch of Seelies." Simon's eyes were sparkling with laughter.

_Oh fuck._

"You walked right into that one." Snickered Izzy waving an arm casually as she sat down next to Simon.

Jace glared towards Izzy. "I have special angel blood. It made me partially immune to the Seelie charm entering my system. No one swayed me anywhere. If anything I swayed Alec and Clary to follow my charming, irresistible self back to the Institute."

_Didn't stop yourself from puking three times on the way to the Institute though._

Izzy gave a cough that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

"Nah, just think about it. You missed your chance to let them have endless sex until they died. Your heroic deeds to lure them back here shall be forever noted." Simon sniggered behind his blood packet.

"They'll put a plaque up in the hall under all the rest of my heroic deeds." Jace snarked back starting to feel a tug on his mouth that threatened to turn into a smile.

"Did you have to do a strip tease for them on the way?" Simon choked out before exploding into laughter at the idea.

"Guys, I did not need the mental imagery of Jace stripping for anyone." Izzy cried, she shot Jace a withering look. "I've seen far too much of you to begin with. I do not need more."

Simon's laughter petered out. "Wait, what?" Simon questioned suddenly suspicious.

_Oh god, all the misconstrued implications in that._

"She caught me having sex." Jace blurted out quickly before Izzy could dig him a deeper hole.

Simon glanced between the two of them a moment. "I sense a story here."

Izzy glanced at Jace seeking permission to drop that loaded bomb.

Jace tossed his finished juice in the trash from where he sat, watched it sail across the room to land perfectly. "No story. Personally I think I'm just more a lothario than Magnus is."

_Bomb disabled._

Izzy gave a small huff.

"Yeah, you slept with everyone but me on that double date." Simon griped out before turning an impossibly bright shade of red. "Kill me now." He smacked his face into his hands.

Izzy actually giggled at that, a strange sound to Jace's ears. Izzy rarely giggled. Laughed and chuckled certainly but not a giggle.

One of the medics came into the room.

The medic glanced over the file in front of him once. "Isabelle, you said you wanted to be informed as soon as Clary was stable enough for a visitor. She can have visitors but I would prefer if she did not leave the infirmary for another two hours, then she can be taken to her room to sleep the rest off. Jace come with me, we require your parabati bond to keep Alexander under control. He reacted the most to the Seelie pollen and with all the cortisol and adrenaline in his system I am surprised he has not had a heart attack. I just need you to sit in the room, grab a book or something. He is currently sedated." The medic calmly explained to the group.

Jace headed out as soon as the medic informed him what room Alec was in, Izzy following him. Simon left towards Clary's room.

Seeing Alec propped up and locked to the bed with numerous padded cuffs did nothing to dissuade the nervousness coiling in Jace's stomach as he approached.

_Just don't be a wild animal again._

Alec's gaze searched out Jace as he sat down on the bed, hearing the creak of the mattress.

_Sedated huh._

Jace felt his breath catch in this throat from that dark gaze. Alec rarely dropped his guard to reveal that much emotion except when they were alone together and even then that had become rare. He felt the parabati rune give a sharp painful twist.

"Here I am." Jace replied to the feeling in the rune touching their heads together.

"You smell like flowers." Alec whispered, leaning into the touch. "Kiss me."

Izzy choked on a laugh having sat down on the other side of the bed in a chair. "He is really high."

Jace did not respond to the comment, loosening the strap around Alec's waist and chest to lift up his shirt exposing the parabati rune.

Placing his hand over it, Jace met Alec's eyes. "Do not puke on me. Otherwise you can sit in those straps until the pollen wears off." Jace warned Alec before pushing angelic energy through the bond in an attempt to remove the Seelie drug from his system faster.

Alec arched up as much as the straps would allow, it was not the sound of a retch that escaped him but a low groan.

_Holy fuck._

That sound was addicting. Sending curls of heat through Jace's body just from the resonance.

"I'm out." Izzy stood quickly. "Make sure he doesn't choke. Just be aware there are monitors in here so don't do anything stupid." Izzy said swiftly exiting the room nearly at a run.

Jace kept his hand on the parabati rune listening to the ragged breathing, waiting patiently for Alec to calm down. A patience he never knew he possessed as the minutes ticked by.

"Jace…" Alec sounded beyond exhausted.

Jace did not wait for the rest of the sentence sending another pulse of angelic power through the rune.

That got the desired result. Alec pitched forward gagging.

Jace felt a small guilty relief at the sound even though his own stomach clenched at the noise.

When the shudders had subsided, Alec lifted his head up to glare at Jace. "I hate you."

Jace shrugged, hitting the call button for the nurse. "Got more of it out of your system." He reached out starting to unbuckle the rest of Alec's restraints and removing the soiled sheet off him.

The nurses and medics were not thrilled to discover Alec unbound from all his restraints when they entered. Jace received an earful about following procedures and that Alec could have hurt himself or others if he had returned to the Seelie portal. When Jace tried using his usual smolder charm on the female nurses he heard Alec choke back a laugh.

Once paperwork was complete Alec was released into Jace's care with strict guidelines to not leave the Institute, keep him hydrated, and rest. The lead medic in charge of Alec could not seem to stress that point enough, adding that hallucinations were possible due to Alec's increased stress hormones.

"Just make certain he rests. Otherwise, I'll send you to deal with a pissed off Maryse." The medic warned Jace as he hauled Alec out of there.

A text from Izzy said she would be taking care of Clary as the medics did not trust her with a male vampire for the night.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Alec was still clearly woozy once Jace had dragged him back to his room, the bulk of the Seelie drug gone but the effects were still being felt.

"You do know you can't just sit in the shower all night, right? Figured the number of showers they gave us in the infirmary was plenty." Jace informed Alec staring at the dark curtain his parabati was behind in the shower.

Alec remained silent, standing under the spray of water.

"I'm not going to stand out here for hours. I'll drag you out of there if I have to." Jace continued.

Alec must have turned the water to a warmer temperature because Jace could make out the steam billowing from the top.

"Just get out for fifteen minutes. I promise I won't die." Alec growled through the curtain.

_We've been here before._

Jace hopped up on the counter, letting his legs hit the cabinet below with a thunk. "Not leaving." Jace replied back belligerently.

_Drugged up on Seelie magic and unstable and I am supposed to make sure you rest._

"Jace, I've been hopped up on a Seelie narcotic the past couple hours. One designed to induce sexual arousal. Now get out."

_Oh, fuck._

The mental image that conjured up.

Silence on the other side of the curtain for a moment as that message sank into Jace's brain.

"Right. I'll just…yeah…no." Jace's voice sounded ridiculously low and hoarse even to himself.

_Because that was a helpful statement._

"Jace…"

Jace stared at that curtain unsure if Alec had already started or not based on that tone.

Kicked his feet into the counter cabinet dropping himself to the floor and left the bathroom because there was no way he was going to remain functional if he listened to that.

Instead he flopped down on the bed and sent a few messages to Izzy to see how Clary was faring.

The message from Izzy that came back said: "She introduced me to mundane porn websites, like I didn't already know. Now she's demanded the shower. It would be amusing if I was not so concerned."

Apparently, they were both in the same awkward boat with their charges.

_I hate Seelies._

His phone pinged again asking how Alec was doing. He sent back that Alec was doing alright and not to worry.

When his ears picked up a low moan from the shower Jace scrambled towards the wooden training dummy in the room using his hands and forearms against the wood to blot out the sounds.

Several minutes later the shower cut out and Alec came back out, mostly dressed and pulling a dark shirt on over his head.

Jace glanced over from the wooden training dummy, resting one hand against it to keep himself there.

"Feel better?" Jace smirked at Alec because the only other question lodged in his brain at the moment was what Alec had thought about.

Alec's gaze drew down Jace's body slowly before coming back up to meet Jace's gaze. Alec appeared redder than he had prior to the shower.

Jace felt himself smile, his ego obtaining a nice boost from that look. He pushed off the training dummy walking towards Alec. His footfalls made it halfway across the room when Alec tensed jerking back.

"Of course I can feel it." Alec said but his gaze was not connecting with Jace anymore, slightly to the left and wavering around the room.

Jace frowned not understanding the strange comment. "Well, it's Seelie magic it's supposed to make you feel something. Come here, I am expected to force feed you Gatorade and bread." Jace motioned towards the bed.

"I can't…there was a mission…it's always…and it needed so much death."

Jace felt a chill go down his spine at the disjointed words.

_Right, Seelie drug could induce hallucinations._

The medic had said something about that, informed Jace to expect it since Alec's stress hormones were so high.

"The plants took an untimely death. Clary's fireball of doom and destruction certainly worked well enough." Jace said candidly trying to bring Alec's focus back on him, reaching out slowly to take Alec's wrist, tugging gently to guide him over to the bed.

Once Alec had settled on the bed Jace let go reaching over to grab the bottle of Gatorade cracking it open.

Alec hissed from the sound eyeing Jace warily.

_So what imagines does your mind conjure? Because I don't think you are seeing me right now._

Jace took a sip of the sugary drink handing it to Alec ensuring it was in his line of vision.

"It was lightning and life." Alec rasped out, taking it and drinking half the drink down. "Everyone's soul burns to a different rhythm…I didn't want to leave…there were so many all crying out."

Disjointed as the words were Jace could piece together parts of what Alec said from past conversations now.

_Where did your mind take you so fast?_

Whether it was parts of Edom or remaking Jonathan or even that hateful chrysalis Jace was unsure.

Jace sat down a careful distance from Alec in case he decided to lash out.

Alec's focus veered towards Jace clashed then slipped sideways not quite catching.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The red landscape spread out before him, desolate and barren.

His breath came harshly, lungs burning painfully on each inhale. Scorching him slowly from the inside out.

_Why am I in Edom?_

"Because I will not sacrifice."

That sounded like Magnus, but Alec could not be certain.

_I'm not sacrificing anyone._

"You did sacrifice."

The plains before him were littered with the bodies of the vampires and mundanes he had killed to survive. Two shadowhunters lay at his feet, sightless eyes staring up at him.

"What was the cost?" One of the forms spoke, eyes bleeding. The words were Magnus's but the voice was the shadowhunter he had killed.

"This would be easier if you let go." The other shadowhunter spoke, blood spilling from his lips as he stood up leaning in to brush bloody lips across Alec's frozen mouth before biting with razor sharp teeth.

Alec jerked back, feeling his skin drag across the harsh ground tearing open, leaving bloody stripes along the path he had crawled.

Jace clambered, glowing, uncovered, from the red ground Alec's blood had splattered across.

"Tell me, parabati. I know how much you want to tear me up." Jace's voice sounded cold even as he straddled Alec rising up over him as shackles of red wrapped around Jace's body impaling him along arms, wrists, and thighs so he could not move, held still for Alec.

_No. Not like this. I'm not a slave to my impulses._

"Be selfish."

_I'm his protector. I guard his soul as he does mine._

"Guard your soul, your body." Jace leaned down to lick a strip along his neck.

He couldn't move.

_Move. Pull away. Back away._

"Your heart." Jace taunted over him, biting over his heart.

_Stop. I won't hurt him._

The red power drove through Jace's heart before winding down and drawing Alec up into the blood pouring down Jace's chest, ready to impale.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Jace was torn awake from Alec's scream only to be blasted off of the bed before he could register what was going on.

His back hit the floor and he skidded into the dresser, smacking his shoulder, his wrist felt like it was on fire.

Battle instincts kicked in along with his adrenaline, heartbeat spiking.

Rolling to his feet Jace struggled to figure out what had just happened, eyes searching for his blade and a threat in the room.

Alec was awake and wide eyed staring towards Jace across the room, the blanket half off the bed leading a trail to where Jace had landed, when Alec had apparently hurled him out of bed.

_I put the handcuffs on you so I would not lose you while I slept, not to get punched across the room._

Irritation at being drop kicked out of bed rose within him. Jace opened his mouth to snap a harsh comment.

"Jace?"

The confused, cautious tone in Alec's voice put Jace on high alert, snapping his mouth shut. He could see the broken handcuff dangling from Alec's wrist mangled and twisted as if something had melted it.

_Hallucinogenic Seelie drug. Alec must have had a nightmare. Shit, did he lose control?_

No alarms were blaring in the Institute so Jace could safely guess Alec did not.

"It was just a dream. It's alright." Jace worriedly informed Alec, rubbing his bruised arm, eyes flicking from Alec down to twisted metal and then to the bedframe where the other half of the handcuff still remained uselessly dangling.

_It's not alright. Might have been a bad idea to chain up someone coming down from Seelie assault drugs._

"Is it you?" Alec asked shifting slowly out of the bed appearing ready to bolt or attack.

_And I thought I had bad nightmares._

A part of Jace felt relieved he was not the one undergoing any hallucinogenic twisted dreams.

_I have enough problems to deal with without losing my mind._

"Of course it's me. Who else would be sleeping in your bed?" Jace stated, cautiously taking a couple steps towards Alec.

Alec scanned Jace's body searching for something, before relaxing slightly but clearly still on edge. He lifted a hand to his shoulder and pushed down along the dark veins.

"I want it out, Jace. I can feel it sinking in. Twisting." Alec whispered brokenly.

Relief crashed through Jace harder than he anticipated, to hear Alec actually admit the power needed to be gone was everything.

Jace dashed across the room, only to be deflected when Alec brought up his arm barring Jace from coming closer, his eyes flown wide and breath harsh.

"Alec?"

"Just, just don't touch me right now." Alec choked out.

Jace took a step back folding his arms across his chest in his usual dominant stance. "Seriously? Don't touch you?" Jace could hear the affronted anger in his own voice.

Alec closed his eyes before snapping them back open shaking his head, tugging at his hair.

Alec stumbled away from him. "Not helping right now, Jace."

_Ok…_

The feeling of uselessness started to sink back into Jace as he watched Alec pace the room, darting quick covert glances towards Jace every few steps.

"Want to talk about it?" Jace asked.

If anything Alec went paler than before.

_I'll take that as a "No"._

"The Owl, did it ever force you to do something other than kill?" Alec softly questioned into the quiet room.

Cold slithered through Jace's veins at the question. A tickle in the back of his mind demanding he approach the chaos and pain he had wrought while possessed by that malicious demon. Jace slammed it down, back into the recesses of his mind where it needed to stay.

Jace moved away from Alec, flexing his hand, not wanting to be near someone he cared about when discussing the Owl. "It made the mundanes I found kill the ones they loved the most."

Alec swallowed, face shadowed in the dim early morning light. "Did it ever force them to do anything prior to killing?"

_Where is this coming from?_

Lilith had only ever been interested in the purity of the mundanes blood and nothing more.

Jace snatched the Gatorade bottle off the nightstand taking a drink to ease his suddenly parched throat. "No, it just killed and forced me to lead each victim back to Lilith every time."

Saying it aloud eased some unknown pressure from Jace that had unknowingly built up since the Owl had been destroyed.

Whatever Alec was searching for in those questions apparently was answered because he moved to sit back down on the bed, breath gusting out and tense shoulders relaxing a bit more.

Alec reached up to his wrist where the mangled metal still swung gently from, snapping the remaining piece and letting it drop to the floor with a loud clang.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

"I'm telling you I do not want to know what goes on in your head anymore." Izzy explained to Clary as Jace and Alec sat down for breakfast with them.

Clary hung her head into her palms, the parts of her face that were visible matched her red hair.

"What did she make you watch?" Jace asked Izzy before digging into breakfast. He required several things finished before training began that afternoon with the various Shadowhunters within the Institute that had signed up for Jace to train them now that Maryse had taken him off his leave, and obtaining Izzy's attention was part of one task.

Izzy rolled her eyes, stabbing her pancake with her fork. "It wasn't what she made me watch. It was the next couple hours of Clary explaining to me how each and every male in these walls is hot. In explicit detail. I did not need to know about how she found Underhill or my _dad_ sexy."

Clary groaned pitifully into her hands, muttering to herself.

"I don't want to hear about it either." Alec flatly warned his sister before starting up his tablet to begin work.

Jace chuckled. "At least you didn't get punched across the room just for trying to sleep." He sent a glare towards Alec, whom was vaguely eating and already working on some Institute project on his tablet strictly ignoring their conversation now.

Jace elbowed him.

"I said I was sorry." Alec grumbled, typing something down on the tablet. "Next time don't chain me up."

That got Clary to drop her hands looking at the two of them curiously. "You can't just chain someone up, Jace."

Izzy snorted into her drink, choked and began hitting herself on the chest.

"I wanted to sleep. Medic gave orders to make sure Alec rested, I was not going to just let him wake up and wander the halls or go back to Seelie hell." Jace defended himself twirling his knife in his free hand.

Izzy managed to clear her lungs. "Seelie hell, I think it's called Canto five or second circle, lust."

"You know, I could just tell you where to go for more." Jonathan said and tossed his tray beside Alec sitting down. "I doubt any Seelie will recognize me now and they certainly know how to have fun." The red head grinned towards Clary and Izzy.

"No one is seeking out anything Seelie related. They'll kill any shadowhunter on sight if you are caught alone. Clary's little stunt yesterday will have repercussions, especially considering they do not have a Queen selected at the moment." Alec said without looking up from the tablet.

Jonathan dragged Alec's coffee cup to himself without asking. "You ever going to let that go?" Jonathan growled, hoarding the coffee cup to himself.

Clary made a sound that suspiciously reminded Jace of a whip cracking.

Alec hit a few areas on the tablet, mouth thinning in thought. "Unlikely. I sent you your assignment for the day. Should be on your phone."

Jonathan dug his phone out clicking to the message, frowning as he read through it before turning a disbelieving gaze towards Alec.

Alec grabbed the biscuit off his plate and the tablet standing up. "Better get started." Alec said to Jonathan. Alec turned gripping Jace's shoulder briefly before heading out for the day.

The brief contact burned through Jace's shirt like a brand.

"What did you do to piss Alec off?" Clary inquired.

Jonathan sipped at his hoarded coffee. "I blatantly disregarded his orders. Took a bet, it worked." Jonathan grinned towards Jace. "I don't regret it."

Jace focused on his food realizing he needed to finish before Izzy did and he lost his chance. He did not particularly want to hound her down.

"So what task has he set for you?" Clary questioned as Izzy reached out and pulled the rest of Alec's plate towards herself.

Jonathan thinned his mouth in distaste. "Bloodwork in the infirmary for most of the day before sending me off to speak to Magnus." He turned his gaze towards Clary fully. "Nothing to strenuous."

"Why do you need to talk to Magnus?" Jace asked flipping the knife in his hand back down to the table letting it bounce before catching it again, using the other hand to continue eating.

Piano taught him to be ambidextrous and he still felt a little off from the Seelie drug and getting punted across Alec's room, channeling stress into the spinning object helped.

"Show off." He heard Clary mutter under her breath.

"Book returns and a side project he wants me to investigate." Jonathan answered.

_Did not answer that in the slightest._

Jace dropped attempting to interrogate Jonathan further, turned to Izzy who had most of Alec's plate already cleared. "Have anything in the armory that can absorb power? Since that demon mission we took out one greater demon but we still do not know if there are more throughout the city. I want something to capture them in if possible."

Izzy cocked her head thinking of the weapons located in the Institute's armory. "There might be a few we could use. I would need to repurpose them as either chains, shackles, or something similar."

A plan took further shape in Jace's mind.

Jace set the spinning knife down. "How soon can you have at least two ready? I'm not sure how fast Alec is going to want to push hunting more demons down before needing to focus on appeasing the Seelie court."

Izzy finished up the last of Alec's food thinking it over. "Give me a couple days. Should have two ready for you then. Also, leave Saturday open. That's when I intend to have Clary's birthday party, barring some catastrophic event."

"Great. Any chance you are going to tell me where this super secret party will be held?" Jace questioned gathering his plate and glass up.

Izzy gave him a flat look. "I do not trust you withhold that information from Alec. So no. You get to find out the day before. Maybe." She grinned at him playfully.

_I hate being the one surprised._

Something he knew Alec also shared.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The files stretched out before Alec encased every known death Jonathan had performed since the Clave had discovered his existence. Each folder flickered with color from the stained glass window behind him depicting the Angel destroying a greater demon.

_Two, maybe three months to deal this much destruction._

The folders sat like gravestones, silent and solemn, each one closed except the one directly in front of Alec.

Alec sighed mentally.

_I dragged Jonathan out of there for a reason and Heaven did not lash out._

His arm sent a jolt of pain through his bicep ending in his wrist that was still hurting from breaking the shackle that morning.

The Iratze not working on him since the mission to stop the rift to the void opening was worrying. Alec had figured logically Edom and the chrysalis each held more power than closing the rift in the sky would require. But clearly something in there did not add up properly leaving him in pain.

_Again._

"Tell me again. Why Jonathan?" Maryse's voice cut through his thoughts as she entered his office.

Alec rolled his shoulder back feeling the pull of the stitches, sitting up straighter in the rich black chair.

"I told you our deal already. I have Jonathan performing the required bloodwork the Clave wants here at the Institute, where he will not be tortured for it. It will be ready when the Clave officials arrive, complete with several of our medics sign offs. They cannot question it further."

Maryse walked further into the room, pulling out the wooden chair in front of his desk and sitting down. The chair creaked slightly.

"Alec, the bloodwork only answers one part of the question. They want to know what the symbols looked like. The Clave plans to send more shadowhunters into other hellish realms to destroy them, just as you did."

_And that would be a massacre._

Alec rubbed a hand over his eye. "I told you. I survived Edom because of Jonathan, a demon. Unless the Clave intends to find a friendly demon in every hellish realm it is a suicidal mission for anyone they send. I did not know how to reach the souls and only discovered them because of Jonathan."

_And Jace. Survived because of Jace._

Maryse's mouth thinned into a tight line. "Jonathan is hardly friendly." She looked pointedly at his desk filled with the murders Jonathan had committed as his demonic self.

Rather than move the files into a neat pile, Alec directed his gaze straight at Maryse locking their gazes. "I'm redirecting him. The Silent Brotherhood already performed wonders for his mental state. He was confused when he first changed. He needs this just as much as the Clave does. Let people heal, killing Jonathan does not bring anyone back. Announcing his death as a political ploy will only reopen the wounds that have been closing the last few months."

Maryse shifted in her seat. "Redirecting or delaying the inevitable destruction he is capable of?" She questioned sharply, searching her son's face for an answer.

The sharp need to protect drove up through his body, sending sparks of adrenaline quickly followed by the corrupted power to circulate through his blood in a sharp spiral.

_Jonathan has nothing left to lose. Except Clary._

He did not look away from Maryse's gaze, voice coming out hard and direct. "The Clave dismissed the charges against Jace for accidentally killing the Downworlders, they let him go for the deaths as the Owl because he was possessed by a demon. They let me go for killing Joceyln because I was _possessed_ by a demon. They forgave Clary for breaking a host of laws in her flagrant display of stupidity during her entire chase of Valentine. Jonathan is no different. He was made by Valentine into a demon, with no choice in the matter. Will you really continue to punish the child for something his father did to him when he no longer carries that curse?"

Maryse leaned back in her chair and Alec realized he had stood leaning over his desk towards her.

Drawing back, Alec released a sharp breath, his shoulder itched from the stitches pulling the skin taut. A second itch hovered in the back of his mind waiting patiently.

"I have hundreds of families that need compensation for Jonathan's deeds as a demon." Maryse sternly informed him.

Alec leaned forward placing his hands on the desk. "He has a soul. He was possessed by Lilith's blood. He never stood a chance to choose what he wanted to become. The downworlders, the mundanes, all the people Clary left dead in the wake of her decisions dragging Jace through hell along the way, all of them were given a chance to grieve just to allow for her to live, to thrive from her mistakes. He must be given a chance after coming back from being a demon, otherwise why fight the demons when we cannot accept someone who came back from being one. The psychological effects are practically identical to possession. Anger, loss of control, and masochistic tendencies. The number of shadowhunters we would kill on a daily basis would drive us to extinction within years." It required a conscious effort to not begin yelling. "We'll just kill ourselves." Alec whispered softly.

Maryse shifted her gaze away staring towards the massive stained glass window behind Alec, he could see the creases of disagreement forming around her mouth the longer she stared into the distance absorbing his words.

"Perhaps send him to Scholomance as a teacher. They reopened the elite training academy recently." She suggested after a while.

The muscles in Alec's jaw pulled tight, fist forming in tension he forced it to relax. "So you can remove him from under our roof? He will not leave here. I made him. He is my responsibility."

Maryse turned to examine Alec, a motherly cast to her face now. "Alec, what you have done with your life far outshines anything I did with my own. I just do not want you to tarnish your reputation by associating with Jonathan."

Alec closed the file in front of him setting it to the side. "Tarnish my reputation?" He questioned disbelievingly. "Like I tarnished my reputation by supporting Jace when we thought he was the son of Valentine? Tarnished my name when I dated a warlock? Tarnished the family name with my decisions to form a new cabinet that included downworlder leaders?"

Maryse frowned at that reaching out across the mahogany desk.

Alec did not allow her the chance to take his hand, lifting his hands off the desk and dropping them to his sides. "I know what I am doing. I lead this Institute, even if you have not given that title back yet, you will. This is the right decision."

Maryse dropped her hand back in her lap.

"_The burdens of a leader will weigh you down. You must be stronger than that."_

They were words Maryse had taught him years ago while training and studying to gain enough credit to take over the Institute when he grew up, following in his parents footsteps. Footsteps he had no idea were stained in blood and deceit from their time with the Circle, Valentine's little mad clique.

Alec had taken that burden regardless, naively thinking he could protect everyone under his command, and now he would deal with the decisions to keep those under him safe and the consequences if he did not.

_Two bodies covered in blood laying on the floor._

"What is your plan for dealing with the Seelies? Lydia expects you at that meeting later today." Maryse inquired bringing her body straighter, letting the lost moment pass without comment.

Alec leaned down pulling out a thick portfolio filled with pages that had clearly been handwritten.

"This was going to be presented to the Clave as a way to prevent genocide between various Downworlder factions and the Shadowhunters. We did not commit genocide on the Seelies, we stalled their personal breeding program. But I think some of what is in here will be required in dealing with the Seelies wrath. They are not going to like it when I tell them they can no longer perform their revels in such a large capacity. Their revel to lure mundanes into their realm can be considered an act of genocide towards the mundanes, which would put the Seelies actions into breaking the Accords."

Maryse raised her eyebrows at that.

Alec flipped through several pages, landing on one discussing the penalties of those breaking the law. "Clary may be required to leave this Institute and live in Idris or at the academy until she completes a more formal training."

"Why not allow Jace or Isabelle to train her again?" Maryse questioned standing up and beginning to move towards the window to look out.

Alec frowned at that. "You assigned Izzy weapons reconstruction today. Jace has a list about ten hours long of shadowhunters requesting training time with him. I am not pulling either of them to train someone who clearly does not want to listen to regulations and logic. She has a good heart, but she rarely sees the full picture. This mess she just handed us is proof of that."

A knock on the door sounded and Jonathan stuck his head in the door.

Alec pulled out the other tomes from the same drawer that had belonged to Magnus placing them in a backpack, motioning for Jonathan to come in.

Jonathan strode in snatching up the backup giving Alec a vague mocking salute before strolling back out the door.

Maryse's frown deepened as she watched the interaction. "You trust him out on his own?" She questioned.

Alec glanced back at his mother before looking over to the door where Jonathan had vanished. "Yes. It is just a short errand to take the tomes back to Magnus. Figured I did not let him out to the bar when he asked, I offered him this short day trip instead."

Maryse frowned and came around the desk to stand beside him before kneeling down to his eye level. "I had hoped you would take those to Magnus yourself. I don't understand what happened in Edom or anything after, but I do not like watching my boy lose something that appeared like real love."

Entering any further into that discussion would spell certain disaster.

Alec pushed himself away from his desk walking over to his door, pushing it open and looking back to Maryse. The implication clear.

Maryse stood and walked towards the door, stopping beside him as if she wanted to say something but no words came forth.

Alec swallowed forcing his voice into something calm, it came out hard. "The last time you tried to set me the Lydia debacle happened, look out that turned out. Magnus and I ended."

_Ended the moment I broke the seals to Edom and all I could find was the other part of my soul._

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The sprawl of clean, sharp metal weapons filled every shelf. Chains hung from the ceiling in one section, another held an array of various arrows that Jace suspected Alec would kill to have complete access to.

"Hold this." Izzy said shoving a large chain and a flail into his arms.

Jace caught them on reflex, muscles from the last couple days of ten to twelve hour training sessions protested even after he had applied his runes. Convincing Izzy to bring him with to Idris in her search for weapons had not been difficult, the random trek to the middle of nowhere had been mildly uncomfortable. Izzy was slightly annoyed that the absorption weapons she could craft at the Institute would not hold up against a greater demon which brought them here.

_Wherever here is._

Upon entering Idris Izzy had proceeded to drag him outside the city bounds and along a dirt path for what had felt like hours before they came across this rather quaint establishment at the edge of the wards.

_We passed up several weaponsmiths in Idris to go hiking through the hills to this guy._

Jace glanced over at Izzy hefting the chain in his arms into a more comfortable position with the flail.

Izzy looked like a kid in a candy store. Eyes bright as she took in everything around them, hand trailing over various whips and flitting over some of the blades.

"We're on a budget and you promised I could get a few things for helping you lug all this back to the Institute." Jace reminded her, swiping an updated Sensor, something to detect demonic energies, off one of the racks to add to the pile.

Izzy left the whips with a forlorn look on her face. "You just had to requisition some of my spending money. I bet you had to ask Alec once and he caved from one look. My brother was supposed to support his sweet sister. Me." Izzy huffed walking away from the weapons she had been inspecting.

"No. He had some questions about it." Jace told her not willing to let her know that all it had taken was handing the sheet of paper to Alec and a vague description of requiring weapons. He had not even explained why he needed the weapons before Alec had pulled the sheet over, changing what he needed, and signing off on it.

The weaponsmith in the remote outskirts of Idris appeared ecstatic to have Izzy and Jace in his establishment and had babbled to them endlessly about various weapons to kill demons with until Jace had sent him a hard enough glare he backed off to allow them space to browse. Jace could see the weaponsmith watching them from his workbench where he had resumed working on sharpening a new knife using adamas instead of normal steel.

_Thought only females could craft weapons using adamas._

However Izzy found this guy the use of adamas certainly explained why the shop was located on the outskirts of Idris and they had hiked for hours to get here.

_No wonder Izzy jumped at the chance for me to be her pack mule._

Izzy lighted her fingers over some items that reminded Jace vaguely of the Malachi configuration she had finished and completed.

"Got anything that absorbs Seelie magic and demonic?" Jace called over to the weaponsmith.

The weaponsmith glanced up, gently placing the blade he was working on down along with the adamas. "Certainly." He wandered quickly over to a cabinet pulling open several draws which all held various sized orbs.

They reminded Jace creepily of the orbs Magnus had used to extract Edom's power from Alec.

"Oh! Perfect!" Izzy practically skipped over to examine the drawer with Jace, she paused her hand hovering over the orbs. "Are any of these dangerous to touch for Shadowhunters?" Izzy questioned the weaponsmith.

"Everything in the bottom drawer. You would need a special box to carry it if that is what you are searching for." He answered them, brushing his long black hair over his shoulder where it had traveled when he opened the drawer for them to view.

Jace nudged Izzy giving her a slight shake of the head.

"We'll take four of the nonhazardous orbs." Izzy said glancing at a schematic of hers she had brought with.

"Make it six." Jace amended picking up one that glowed a soft amber color.

The weaponsmith glanced between the two of them for confirmation. "Do you need them completely empty or with remnants?"

"Empty." Jace informed him. No way was he messing this mission up.

The weaponsmith reached in selecting six of the orbs that remained entirely dark, the drawer glowed with vague luminescent colors as he closed it.

"Can you add in about 50 feet of adamas infused chain." Izzy commented, cocking her hip out and looking at the weaponsmith with her large eyes. "I'm not sure if I will need to melt it down for a project or not. Unless you are willing to part with any solid bars."

The weaponsmith tilted his head back and pretended to consider her request but Jace could already see the answer on his face.

"I can give you the chain, no bars." He told her carrying the orbs to the counter and packaging them in a soft box.

Izzy harrumphed, crossing her arms in vague annoyance that she did not get exactly what she wanted, even with her flirtatious behavior.

"What are you seeking?" The man asked Jace directly, clearly searching for more income from the two of them.

"Rope and something flammable. Have to burn them up somehow. Preferably something that will ignite quickly."

The man went and retrieved the items.

Once Izzy had paid she picked everything up but the fifty feet of metal chain, leaving that load for Jace to carry home.

Jace scooped it up vaguely wondering if it was fifty or a hundred pounds before deciding to throw it up on his shoulder as his best option for lugging this weight back home.

Once outside and a decent distance away from the rundown establishment Jace asked Izzy why the hell she had dragged them to the middle of nowhere for essentially scrap metal and a handful of weapons.

Izzy tossed her head back to remove some hair from her face. "Meliorn." She answered simply.

"Meliorn told you about a weaponsmith in Idris?" Jace repeated dubiously, shifting the weight on his shoulders to a more comfortable position. "And you dragged me out here for the scrap metal and some orbs why?"

Izzy glanced over at him, smirking as he shifted the coil of metal chain again.

"Zayde, picked that location for his establishment because it crosses over the wards of Idris. He can cater to both shadowhunters and downworlders. You would be surprised at the amount of stuff he carries that ends up being a mix of Seelie and Nephilim weapons. He's got some pet project he has been working on most of his life to integrate adamas with the wooden magic the Seelies use. Considering we might end up at war with the Seelies any day now I wanted to obtain the best metal I could locate in a short amount of time." She tilted her head back the way they had come. "Zayde's."

Jace dodged a particularly large hole in the overgrown path.

"How did Meliorn know about him? I mean Zayde is a Shadowhunter." Jace jumped over a large log that he knew was not there on the path in. Although he might be remembering it differently now that he had a dead weight to carry. The chains rattled on his back when he dropped back down to the ground.

Izzy was small enough and with less over her back that she could duck under it and crawl the short distance to the other side.

"Zayde is half Seelie, maybe a quarter Seelie since he does not have the vine markings, at least none I have ever seen. Meliorn met him long before me. How? I do not know. Meliorn always kept most of his life from me. Probably why we worked well together at first. No questions, just fun." Izzy responded easily glancing up at the sky which had darkened with clouds.

Jace followed her gaze.

"It better not rain." Jace grumbled shifting the dead weight of chain on his back. The last torrential downpour he had been caught in had forced him to throw out his boots.

_Angel, that night._

Between the demon ichor that no longer dissipated and weather Jace had already gone through two pairs of boots this year. Huh, maybe that is what he should get Alec for a gift. They had both always tended to give each other practical gifts that they could immediately use in the field. No, that gift was bland, boring. Not anything to show an inkling of what had developed between Alec and himself and those whispered words that had branded themselves into his brain, searing his body every time he thought of them and the touch of Alec's mouth over his skin as he whispered them.

"_I love you."_

Jace pushed the memory away reluctantly unwilling to dwell on it.

The wind was starting to pick up, giving warning to the incoming clouds they could see through the trees.

"You ever going to tell me where you are hosting Clary and Alec's joint birthday?" Jace questioned Izzy in an attempt to redirect his own thoughts that wanted to swirl towards Alec.

Izzy glanced over with an evil smirk. "We are going to an Art Gala, followed by a scheduled appointment with body painting then we all get to crash at the same hotel that is hosting both."

Jace's jaw fell open because yeah it was perfectly Clary. But how the hell was Izzy expecting Alec to go along with that.

"Don't worry. I've bribed Alec. And don't worry the evening starts off with us going to an archery range that acts like laser tag."

Jace snorted, feeling his boot sink into a softer patch of ground before unsticking on the next step. "How the hell did you managed that?" The grey clouds overhead continued to roll in holding tightly to their water particles.

Izzy shifted her bag of weapons. "By flat out lying and telling him there were suspected Seelie's attending the archery park searching for viable mundanes rather than using a revel."

"And he believed you?" Jace asked stunned, eyes shooting towards Izzy's form beside him since he could not turn his head as easily with the heavy weight across his shoulders.

Izzy's eyes sparkled in the light. "Perfectly."

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Jace dragged himself back to his room. Every muscle ached, reactivating the runes over and over during training and then again with a hundred pounds strapped to his back. And he would know, he made Izzy weigh it when they got home.

_I will never again go weapons shopping with Izzy._

Although the detour she had taken him on did provide him some interesting new upgrades and tools, that would be useful for what he intended.

"You look horrible." Alec intoned from his bed, tablet resting on his knee and wearing his normal sweats for sleeping.

Jace stared blankly at Alec for a moment, processing that he had not needed to corner him or that Alec had to fight or argue first for him to be sitting there. Pulling himself together Jace threw Alec a lopsided grin.

"Izzy took me weapons shopping." Jace said heading towards his dresser to grab new clothes for the shower, dropping two empty orbs and the sensor on his dresser. The sensor was hot in Jace's hand as he set it down.

_Alec._

Alec shot him a mildly confused look, placing the tablet alongside the items Jace had set down. "You love weapons shopping." Alec rationally pointed out the obvious as he sat down on the bed.

_Not when I'm slogging through miles of terrain with a hundred pounds on my back._

"She made me carry a hundred pounds of adamas infused chain back to the Institute!" Jace snapped starting to strip his clothes off, uncaring if Alec watched or not.

Alec shifted on the bed. "It was to Idris, right? It's not that far to walk via the warlock portals." Alec logically pointed out mouth turning down slightly, tilting his head a fraction.

Jace headed into his bathroom turning on the shower. "It is when she drags you out to the middle of fucking nowhere. We were literally at the edge of the Idris wards and then had to carry everything back."

He heard Alec chuckled behind him, a rare sound.

"Was it uphill both ways and through the snow?" Alec deadpanned breaking into a quiet laugh.

Jace turned back around carding his hand through his own hair to push the blonde locks out of his face.

"No, it was downhill into muddy hell." He quipped, trying to ignore the urge to drag Alec to him and press his mouth to his. The parabati rune gave off the strange warning pulse Jace felt every few days.

_Did I mess up the bond bringing you back?_

It was a question that Jace tried hard not to contemplate especially considering they kept falling back together.

As if sensing Jace's thoughts Alec reached out and ran his hand down Jace's side pausing over the parabati rune.

"Take your shower. There is something I wanted to discuss with you." Alec's gazed dropped over Jace's body, a dark hunger flashing across his face before clearing. "and I would rather not do this while you are naked."

The warmth of the casual conversation vanished leaving behind a cold feeling as Jace stepped into the shower.

He turned up the heat on the water.

_That look. _

Once showered and dressed Jace meandered back out to his room where he found Alec sitting on the bed slowly massaging his right arm.

Alec dropped his hand away the moment Jace walked in the room, dark gaze lifting to track Jace's movements.

"Maryse and I want to send Clary to the Shadowhunter Academy for more formal training." Alec stated calmly, dark eyes gauging Jace for a reaction.

_That was it?_

Jace shook his head, shrugging his shoulders. "So?"

Alec shifted on the bed, hand gnarling into the blanket. "Why are you not fighting me on this?" Alec asked guardedly.

Jace moved to stand in front of Alec. "Because her and I. We have not been together in a while now." Jace shook his head, blond hair sticking to his neck and face. "Fuck, Alec. You really think I would have done everything I have with you if I still was?"

Alec's body tensed, but unless he wanted to push Jace aside he could not get up. "You did that because I was sick." Alec stated impassively.

_You still believe that…_

Jace reeled back, eyes flaring. "Fuck you, Alec." He snapped before crossing his arms across his chest and glaring down. "Our souls were entwined. Maybe it's just me but I want to feel that again."

Alec stared up at him, before giving a soft scoff turning his eyes away. "So what, just going to fuck me every time I get out of control?" Alec asked scathingly.

"Yes." Jace bit out. "And I'll keep doing it." He said more softly.

_If it keeps you safe. Keeps you a part of me._

Alec's angry brown eyes snapped to Jace's multi-colored ones.

"You told me you wanted it gone. Lose the jacket and shirt, Alec. I want to see how bad it is." Jace ordered unmoving from his stance.

Alec pushed Jace away from the bed standing up. "I never said that." Alec informed him with unnerving calm, heading towards the door.

Jace easily bounced back from the shove.

"Yeah you did. You were high as a kite on Seelie date rape drugs at the time, but you did say it." Jace snarled following after. "Alec! Look at me!" Jace yelled.

Alec stopped walking but did not turn around, hand clenched into a fist.

Jace circled around him until he stood before him.

Alec closed his eyes. "I'm fine, Jace. I will not force-"

"Kiss me." Jace demanded, moving into Alec's personal space. "Kiss me and tell me you don't need this."

There was silence as Jace held that dark brown gaze, refusing to back down.

Jace could see the moment Alec broke lunging towards him, desperately consuming his mouth. The parabati rune burned twisting into the same pulse and burn it had done when he held Alec's soul.

Jace moved to pull away to ask.

"Don't." Alec hissed into his mouth and slammed their mouths together again, pressing his body into Jace tightly. "I don't need this."

_Right. Because I don't need this either._

Jace bit Alec's lip for the comment earning a low groan before he slanted his mouth across Alec's focusing on divesting Alec of his jacket, breaking for air when he managed to get his shirt off.

Alec took a step back from Jace breathing hard and flushed, the lines along his arm stood out starkly against the pale skin, parabati rune glowing softly.

"There is darkness in me Jace. Enough that my runes are not working anymore." Alec whispered.

If it was supposed to be a warning Jace completely missed the point.

"I thought the same of myself at one point." Jace informed him pulling Alec back to him, mouthing at Alec's neck.

Alec reached out tracing along Jace's wrists, arms, and over his heart searching for something and leaving a burning trail where he touched. "We keep ending up like this." Alec murmured.

"Stop talking." Jace demanded slanting their mouths together again in a heated claim.

Somehow they ended up on the floor, ignoring the bed entirely, ripping the rest of their clothes off before sliding together in the instinctual rolling motion.

Jace's skin started to burn where Alec's hand gripped his hips. Cracking his eyes open he could see Alec's arm ablaze in a violent red hue along where the black lines usually stood stark against.

_Fuck, I don't want to stop._

Three more thrusts and the burn on his hip from Alec's hand and the parabati rune were unbearable. Jace wrenched away.

"Jace?" Alec sounded confused, wary, and hurt. He rolled away reaching for his clothes to cover himself.

"Just need to get something." Jace said, getting up. "Don't move."

Jace scrambled quickly over to his dresser grabbing the two orbs returning just as fast.

He dropped back down on top of Alec, dropping one orb on the carpet and handing the other to Alec. "Hold that." Jace ordered before plunging his tongue into Alec's mouth, wrapping his hand around Alec's wrist feeling the tension in the tendons there.

Thankfully, Alec complied without complaint caught up in the rhythm Jace had started up again.

The parabati rune branded itself into Jace's skin all over again, their souls twisting together. The familiar pulse and burn started to sync into the parabati bond.

_So close._

Jace could feel Alec's life force burrowing its way back into the parabati rune the same moment the red on his arm blazed bright enough for Jace to see it through his eyelids.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The room held the faint odor of musk and burnt carpet. The thin carpet they were laying on did nothing to aid towards comfort. His shoulder and hip ached from falling asleep on the hard surface. Yet Alec could not care the least about the smell or the hard floor instead burrowing closer to Jace who had an arm flung across Alec's chest and his leg entangled around his lower body.

Connection.

The relief that flowed through his veins felt tangible. The whispered thoughts and red flickers in his vision gone for the moment. Leaving behind a lighter sensation of feeling natural and whole again. Something he had not felt since that brief night in the midst of a thunderstorm, before that he could not recall a time.

_I risked this bond to keep him alive if all else failed._

Alec could not bring himself to regret the decision to voluntarily bring that power back into his veins. He had desired the rich, sparking power and the mission required a failsafe. And fail it did. Every alternative to not connect himself to the symbol had ended the moment Jonathan had sliced open his skin letting his blood hit the ground, providing the opening he required. But it still did not detract from the massive risk Alec had undertaken exposing himself to the power of the hellish realm the demons had been opening their rift to.

_To think I believed myself to have this under control._

Alec turned his head enough to view the two red glowing orbs slowly burning holes into Jace's carpet.

"_I need some new weapons."_

Alec smiled to himself at the memory of Jace's request. It never crossed his mind when he had signed that sheet that Jace had been planning, designing for this to happen. All to ensure their bond grew strong enough to push the tainted power out.

Although based on the fact they were on the floor Alec guessed there were some steps Jace had thrown out the window in true Jace fashion opting for the quickest route to solve this.

_Again._

Alec felt a faint frown as he recalled the first time this whole thing had started, completely delirious when Jace had captured him, pinned to the wall punching reason further out of Alec enough that he had kissed him. Back then he had been oscillating between seeking power out or destroying Jace. Yet, Jace had not been destroyed if anything it was Alec that was ruined. All the carefully constructed barriers he had put up between them over the years, hiding behind them. Jace had torn down again and again each time they came close. Close enough that their parabati bond had changed into something far more intimate.

_My soul close to yours._

"You here with me?" Jace rasped lifting his head and pulling away from Alec enough to search his face. Jace's heterochromia eyes still were heavy with sleep but Alec could see the concern and warmth in that gaze.

"I'm always here with you." Alec responded reaching up to trace along Jace's jaw.

The certainty of that statement shocked Alec even as he uttered it. Of course he was always with Jace. Jace had held his soul through death. Held it again when their bond pushed the rest of the power out replacing it with their linked emotions and the power the parabati bond now generated. Linked emotions that held a love Alec felt himself reeling from the sheer magnitude of it coming from Jace.

_Years to feel this returned._

Only he recognized this feeling in the bond before. During that thunderstorm right before he tried throwing his life away.

Jace reached out tracing the rune along Alec's neck setting his nerves alight and goosebumps to break out across his skin.

"You weren't. Not since I gave you back your soul. Hell, before that, sometime long before Clary entered our lives. I thought this would fix it." Jace waved an arm between their two bodies. "Instead it just threw me into this emotional warfare with you and I can't leave it. I don't want to leave it."

Alec pulled himself to a sitting position, feeling his emotions towards Jace be revealed without fear through the bond, it was strangely liberating not needing to put up every barrier again. Some barriers remained, closed off and isolated far from anything Jace would ever think to search for. "For what it's worth. I did not intend to go all psycho and coerce you into this." Alec half joked.

Jace smiled at him, leaving Alec feeling contentedly warm. "This has been the best thing that has happened to me. Our bond transcends the normal rules for parabati. If it is my angelic blood or because you were a god for a short time, who knows. But it is there and its real and I'm not letting you go."

Alec leaned forward brushing a light kiss across Jace's lips. Not enough to ignite a fire, just enough to inform him that yes, yes he wanted that as well before pulling back letting the calm follow into the silence.

"What are we going to tell Izzy about those orbs? And how am I going to explain to Maryse how my arm is magically healed overnight?" Alec asked at length.

Jace snorted back a laugh, grinned pushing himself to his feet. "Izzy already knows."

"Izzy already knows." Alec parroted back, a mix of horror and revulsion twisted through him at the realization of how she knew returned to him.

Jace shot him a look with a slight frown on his face, brow creasing. "You don't recall her barging into your room directly before the Silent Brother?" Jace questioned pausing near the bathroom door.

_No. I remember. I just wanted to forget that my sister saw any of that, no matter how short._

"I remember, just needed to forget how she knew." Alec grumbled following Jace towards the shower.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Alec sat in his office, the work in front of him untouched, staring at his right arm. Bare of runes, bare of the black veins, bare of anything but plain pale skin. The bond had allowed him to finally activate an Iratze that morning removing the stitches from his shoulder, healing the ache from his wrist, and taking the bruises littered across his body with it. He had not inscribed the old runes back on his arm yet, felt to leery to attempt another rune just yet. Afraid it might not work and that the craving for a darker power would return.

"Alec?"

Maryse's faint voice floated across the span of his office.

Alec's head snapped up sharply.

Maryse stood hesitantly in the doorway, frozen midstep staring at her son in wide eyed shock. The creases in her jaw running deeper as she fought to control her emotions. She took a step.

Then Alec spotted it.

A misting sheen across his mother's eyes. His mother tried to straighten her back, chin rising in defiance of her own emotion towards her child. "You're healed." She whispered in wonder.

Alec felt his fist clench in reflex, waiting for the torrent of raised questions she would throw at him. Arrows poised to sink into the shifting parabati bond with their barbs.

Maryse briskly walked toward Alec pulling him from his office chair and wrapping her arms around him like she had not done since he was a small child.

"Mom."

Maryse did not release him, but held on tighter.

"My boy. I thought I would lose you again. I knew you were getting worse I could see it every passing day. Every time you left. Every time you came back you were darker." Maryse sobbed.

Alec shaken into stillness stood quietly for a moment before the sheer magnitude of how close he had come to giving up everything, the Institute, his family, Jace, for more of that dark power tore a sob from him.

_How many times did I sneak out for the power in the demon ichor? How many times did Jace need to chase me down? How many chances did my own mother give me to survive it?_

Alec could not voice the questions, could only cling to his mother as another choked sob tore from him.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The loft smelled of some fancy spice Jace could never identify but recognized as Magnus.

Currently said warlock held the two red glowing orbs aloft with his blue power as he examined them.

"This reminds me of the rift." Magnus stated after a moment, glancing at Jace with his head tilted cat-like to the side. "Where did you find them?"

Jace forced himself not to rub the back of his neck and instead wandered over to one of Magnus's couches before nerves got to him and he opted to stand instead, biting his lower lip, unable to meet Magnus's gaze. "Found them on patrol during the cleanup."

_Ex-fiance can never know._

Magnus gave a noncommittal hum before gliding over to his warded safe, waving his hand across it and turning his wrist before it unlocked and opened. Golden clockwork pieces spinning, unlatching and pulling back to reveal the contents inside.

All Jace could catch was a stack of leather-bound books before Magnus's body shielded the safe from view as he placed the two glowing red orbs inside and closed it again. His blue magic wrapping around the golden clockwork pieces pulling them back into place with a thud as it locked together.

Magnus spun around holding his arms out to his side. "If you find any more please bring them to me. I will keep them here until the Spiral Labyrinth completes the neutralization of the current dangerous bombs I entrusted them. I would not want to give them to much." Magnus narrowed his eyes at Jace.

Jace shifted his weight. "Right. That's all. I'll just head out." He headed towards the door quickly.

"How is Alexander?" Magnus asked quietly.

Jace froze, swallowed. "I think you need to ask him that." Jace forced out of his tight throat.

"I think I have a right to know regardless." Magnus walked over to the mirror in the foyer and removed a small white and red charm cut down the middle. "Before Edom I nearly wiped him from my memories believing he truly desired our relationship to end. After Edom I understood I had lost him. But I need to know he is alright. Only a couple days ago he lay in my guest room comatose because his runes would not activate and Izzy was afraid to bring him back to the Institute."

Jace slowly brought his gaze back to the warlock. Magnus appeared somehow lesser, but his glittery gaze did not waver from Jace.

"His runes started activating again this morning." Jace acknowledged, turning to face Magnus the rest of the way, uncertain what that little white and red charm meant. The swirling guilt he had expected to feel when discussing Alec with Magnus was nonexistent, instead a more primal feeling rose up. He wanted Magnus to back off, needed him to leave Alec alone, leave them alone to figure out exactly what they even had. "You two ended. Let him heal from Edom in his own way." Jace said harsher than he had intended.

Magnus drew his head back, retreating a step, eyes opening further before suddenly turning away from Jace and gliding over to his couch, spinning and sitting down with a small flourish of blue that left a glass of something alcoholic in his hand.

"So you reclaimed his lost soul and returned it to him. Now what are you to each other?" Magnus questioned drinking half the glass before leveling his yellow cat-eyed gaze at Jace.

_Yeah, he is going to be pissed. Even though he did return that engagement band months ago._

At least with Clary if he ever got around to telling her about him and Alec he knew he would not be burned alive. Unless Alec had already told the warlock.

_Ugh, this line of thinking was getting him nowhere._

"You better not be drinking right before you summon the next one." Jonathan's voice spoke from the loft's door to the upstairs level.

Irrational fear started to creep through Jace's body, leaving his nerves alight and shaky.

Magnus leveled Jonathan with an irritated glare. "We can put off destroying another demon for the day. Go home."

"What is he doing here? Unsupervised?" Jace demanded, dropping the earlier conversation with relief and pointing at Jonathan who was suspiciously covered in blood and grim.

"I enjoy killing things." Jonathan drawled prowling further into the room.

Cold slithered its way down Jace's spine at those words.

"Alexander sent him over here with some of my things I neglected to retrieve from the institute and since then we made a pact to summon a demon or two a day for Jonathan to destroy." Magnus replied taking a sip of his drink and waving towards Jonathan. "Messily." He added with disgust.

Jonathan grinned. "It is really quite cathartic. You should try it." He said tossing a vial of black powder back and forth between his hands.

Magnus wrapped blue power around the black vial pulling it towards himself before snatching it out of the air. "Please, refrain from throwing my things." Magnus requested lowly.

Jonathan smirked, catching Jace's gaze. A gaze that for a brief moment Jace could have sworn twisted into his maniacal sneer before wiping clean.

"Well, Jace I think that will be all for now." Magnus drained the rest of his glass vanishing it from his hand once emptied. "Alright let us go ease your tormented soul." Magnus directed at Jonathan.

Jace crossed his arms staring Magnus down. "I want to see this. The head of the Institute needs to know what Jonathan is doing unsupervised." Jace declared.

"I'm quite supervised." Jonathan drawled waving a hand towards Magnus, turning and heading up the stairs. Jace followed not letting Jonathan out of his sight. "Do you not trust your precious parabati's judgement?" Jonathan called back turning into the room where a large demon summoning circle had been drawn out.

Magnus moved into the room behind Jace silently sending his nerves skittering. Two beasts in the form of humans.

_Come on pull it together. It's Magnus._

A warlock that could decimate an entire colony of demons with one wave of his outstretched hand and an ex-demon with bloodlust.

Hazardous and perilous.

Jonathan drew two seraph blades activating them. The silver glowing forms drew down until the tips were even with Jonathan's boots. The bright glow seemed to darken Jonathan's eyes casting them into shadow and leaving the rest of his face alight. Then he stepped into the circle smiling in glee.

Jace felt his heartbeat pick up pace, sweat beaded along his back, hand dropping to his own seraph blade.

Magnus began chanting the required spell in a demonic language weaving his hands across the lines on the ground lighting up each section with every pass of his hands.

Jace could smell burnt flesh but if it was emitting from Jonathan he did not acknowledge it only grinned brighter. Jace could feel a pressure building in the room as the spell finished. Flames reaching higher and coalescing into a demon.

Jonathan did not wait for the demon to register where it had been summoned, his seraph blades were already through its chest. Points sticking out the other side of a strange tentacled demon with leathery wings as the fire died down.

_Well that was not so bad. Not exactly messy._

Jonathan twisted both blades drawing one down through the body as he wrenched the other sharp blade upwards and through the demons skull. Black demon ichor flooded the floor and the body collapsed on itself it a disgusting heap. Apparently, that was not enough Jonathan began hacking away each limb until the demon was nothing more than parts.

Nausea rose inside Jace, he forced himself to swallow it down.

_And Magnus is alright with this?_

Jace shot a glance towards Magnus who stood patiently waiting and seemed unaffected by the violence in front of him.

Jonathan stopped his insane hacking, slowly standing up covered in demonic filth.

Something about it lured a memory of Alec doing something similar ages ago now.

_Right before he ripped its heart out._

Magnus scuffed a section of the symbol on the floor and Jonathan stepped out easily.

"I will cross that one off the list." Magnus picked up a nearby sheaf of paper filled with demonic names, some had been crossed out already. "Are you ok Jonathan?" Magnus asked gently glancing at the red haired ex-demon.

Jonathan took a deep breath, letting it out in a rush. "Never been better. That one nearly discovered my plot to destroy the runes in Edom when you so graciously kicked Alec out of your establishment. It proved annoying and dragging Alec across the plains was hazardous enough." Jonathan tore his gaze from the heap of black flesh and blood on the floor to look at Magnus. "I'm off to get ready for Clary's birthday party. I do hope you attend." Jonathan left a stunned Jace and an unruffled Magnus in the room.

Magnus waved his hand and blue magic wrapped around the demon's body burning it up within seconds.

"You are ok with this!?" Jace hissed grabbing Magnus by the shoulders and nearly shaking him.

Magnus set Jace with a glare that shimmered. "Jonathan is broken. And if he wants to kill every demon possible than far be it from me to take that from him."

"He is a murderer." Jace forcefully said.

Magnus smiled sadly. "And so am I."

Jace took a step away, staring at Magnus uncomprehending. "Why?"

Magnus headed towards the kitchen, fixing himself a sandwich before responding to Jace. "Edom and the demons there cost me everything. My magic, twice. Losing Alexander. I nearly threw away my memories of him when he ended our relationship to give me back my magic. Only to lose him all over again when that stupid Nephilim decided to enter Edom alone and destroy it all, just for me. And now he cannot see me. That relationship is gone, again. Lost to the winds of time and whatever you did to bring him back."

The sheer regret and sadness in Magnus's voice nearly had Jace opening his mouth to explain about keeping Alec's soul safe in his own body. Jace closed it before the words left. It would not help.

"Do you feel anything further for him?" Magnus voiced the question gently, it hit Jace in the chest hard squeezing his heart and lungs with the intensity.

It reminded him of the truth sword. "Yes." The word nearly strangled Jace.

_I'm going to die in an inferno._

Magnus scoffed to himself, pouring himself a drink muttering something Jace could not catch. "Don't break his heart, Jace. He has loved you far longer than you could possibly understand." Magnus took a large gulp from his drink. "Now get out of my sight before I decide to incinerate you."

Jace left the loft before Magnus could act on that thought. Jonathan could find his own way to Alec and Clary's birthday party.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The world felt strange. It looked strange. It even smelled strange now.

Alec breathed in again, smelling only the streets of the city and fumes of the cars. He stood across from a mundane archery business that Izzy had informed him Seelies were luring mundanes from. Izzy had insisted that he join her on the reconnaissance of it.

He blinked. No red washed across his vision, no pulse telling him where demons lurked in the shadows.

_It feels like I am recovering from possession._

The disoriented feelings, the strange reluctance to rejoin society pushed on his mind, the darker urge hovered at the back of his mind. He could feel it there, waiting for when he let his guard down.

_You controlled it when it was in you. Control it when it is gone._

The self-talk did not help his mood or lessen the desire to hunt.

_Jace would be furious if I showed up within a day with black veins again._

"Enough standing around staring at the building. Can we please go in now?" Izzy asked checking her silver snake bracelet over and inspecting her nails, something she usually only did when she left to a party.

Alec scanned the area again, spotting zero traces of Seelie movement. "Yeah, I do not trust this. It seems easy. Where is the lure?"

Izzy rolled her eyes at her brother, muttering loudly. "I should have brought Jace."

"Jace is not a lure." Alec deadpanned at his sister, unglamouring his bow and knocking an arrow before starting across the street.

Izzy grabbed his arm, a moment later her hand dropped before it clicked in his head that in that insane second he had snarled at her.

_Like an animal. Like a demon._

Alec took a breath. "Touch feels weird right now." He tried to explain to a wide-eyed Izzy.

The explanation could not even dent the confusing dichotomy of loss and relief he had felt all day.

"Just glamour the weapon." Izzy requested, eyes still wide as she studied her brother. "Please." She added as an afterthought.

Alec glamoured the weapon but did not secure it to his back, holding the weapon invisible. Izzy gave him an oddly worried glance.

Alec crossed the street and pushed his way into the building. No signs of Seelie activity.

"Hey guys." Clary called as she jogged around the corner, pulling up short at Alec's strange stance holding an invisible bow and arrow pointed directly at her. Clary shook her head. "You suck to surprise. Happy birthday." Clary blunted said.

Izzy strolled passed him, reaching out and pushing his strong arm down. "Yeah, I honestly thought he might shoot someone if they surprised him. Hence the text." Izzy explained embracing Clary in a hug.

Alec stood awkwardly still processing. "There are no Seelies or demons to hunt are there." He stated flatly, reaching behind him and strapping the bow to his back sliding the arrow back into the quiver.

"Nope." Clary grinned taking a couple tentative steps towards him. "Can I hug you now? It's a normal birthday tradition."

Izzy steered Clary away from him. "Alec is not feeling very touchy feely right now." She shot her brother a look mouthing. _Do not fuck this up._

Clary guided them to a table where Simon, Lucian, Max, Jonathan, and surprisingly Magnus all sat wearing strange padded gear. The table was littered in cheap bows.

"Where's Jace?" Alec asked.

Jonathan smiled like some insane devil, teeth flashing and green eyes glinting. "He did not appreciate my mosaic. And he got in a fight with Magnus, so he did not get to take the free teleport."

"Come sit by me!" Max shouted, bouncing in his seat. "You have to be on my team."

Alec slid into the seat beside Max picking up each bow to test its strength. Pathetic was the diagnosis, maybe one that held enough strength to be slightly better than the rest, he handed that one to Max.

It was not much longer before Jace showed up.

He shoved Alec over until everyone took the hint and moved enough to let Jace squeeze in next to Alec in the large circular booth.

Jace leaned over, mouth nearly brushing Alec's ear as he whispered. "You feel ok? I felt something strange in the bond."

Alec turned his head to search Jace's heterochromia eyes, the blue and brown pinching in concern. "It's nothing I cannot handle."

Jace slid am arm around Alec's back and left it there, his hand pressed to the parabati rune at Alec's side.

Izzy came trotting back to them followed by a couple of the businesses workers. They explained to the group that each arrow was affixed with a sensor that when touched to their vest would award a point to the person who fired it. Top score wins.

After that it became a flurry of movement as everyone gathered up a bow and blunt arrows before being sent into a large room set up with various tunnels, barriers, and apparatus meant to appear like trees or forts. It was dark as requested by Izzy for extra challenge. They all had to sign some waivers about flying objects in a darkened room for fun.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

_I am going to hunt you down._

Jace kept himself low behind the current rock he was using as cover. He had already taken out Izzy and several of the mundanes that were at the park as well.

Creeping forward he peered into the darkness, activating his night sight rune again.

_No one explicitly said no runes._

He grinned to himself spotting Max sprint from a hiding spot and dive behind another one. Jace climbed to the top of his rocky perch, keeping himself flat to avoid being hit. He waited.

_I hate waiting._

Jace slid to the ground silently and bolted to the rock Max had hidden behind. No one was there.

_Damnit._

He spotted Alec across the way leap out of one of the structures turning around midair and firing a shot back into the dark. Twisting in midair and firing another shot before he landed in a crouch.

_Someone else is using their night vision._

Jace grinned prowling forwards before movement caught his attention to the left, an arrow slammed into the ground a foot from where he lay prone. He rolled to the side, coming up in a part kneel to find Simon staring across at him with a look of utter devastation. Jace smiled, guessing which direction Simon would blur and let the arrow go. It hit Simon's side and Jace's vest gave another beep informing him he had made a hit.

Turning around Jace froze. Jonathan stood in the dark, head tilted down and to the side, but Jace could feel those penetrating eyes on him. A dark smile on Jonathan's face before he sprinted away.

Cold tendrils lashed through his body. Breathe locking in his throat.

_Not now._

"_Who are you looking for, Jace?"_

That voice inside his head when he had been possessed, dark, scratchy, and deadly.

Jace stood in a dark room, a play room with a deadly killer, with his friends. Fear clawed its way up his throat along with bile.

_Fuck…_

Jace spun searching for where Jonathan had gone, seeking for who was left. That dark patch on the ground over there, was that blood?

He moved towards it, heart slamming against his ribs hard, his limbs trembled from the adrenaline. Jace dropped his hand to his seraph blade just as the lights flickered back on and a large horn blared across the room.

His vision went white as the bright lights blinded him.

Jace blinked, deactivating his night vision rune as he struggled to force his heartrate back under control.

The patch of blood was nothing more than dark paint, large spots peeling off the pretend rock until it looked patchworked and smeared.

_Like blood._

Jace pulled in another lungful of air trying to calm his racing heart.

The game. It was just a game.

He dazedly wandered back out into the main hall.

Alec bumped into his shoulder hard. "You alright? You look spooked."

_No._

"Yes." Jace leaned his head against Alec's shoulder.

Alec paused in the hallway, Jace with him. They stayed that way for a moment. No one else came out for a minute as they stood there silently. Voices from the bright field behind them pulled Jace away from Alec just as Lucian and Jonathan walked through the doorway and into their line of sight.

Lucian's deep voice rumbled down the hallway as he walked beside Jonathan. "Just because you were taught by Valentine does not mean much. I grew up with him. He might be your father, but I knew him. Trained with him. And saw him destroy himself." Lucian patted Jonathan on the back. "You were given a second chance at life. Make sure you use it."

Lucian caught sight of Jace and Alec before smiling at them both. "I think one of you two won the round. Let's head up and take a look at the scores."

Jace stayed near Alec while strangely Jonathan hung back. The fact the red haired ex-demon paced behind them did nothing to help alleviate Jace's nerves. He kept glancing behind himself expecting to see a seraph blade raised or a metal chain swinging to wrap around his throat.

Nothing happened.

They arrived back with the rest of the group to learn that Alec had wiped out most of the mundanes in a ridiculous amount of time. Jace was pleased to discover it was Lucian that got the drop on Jonathan. The only reason Jace and Alec had not needed to search each other out was because the timer had run out on the game. Grand total Alec won.

"Sort of my life's work in there." Alec pointed out, wrapping an arm around Jace's shoulders. "You came in second." He informed Jace with a small smile, brown eyes alight.

Jace found himself dangerously close to Alec, frayed nerves not helping his spinning thoughts.

"Jace!" Max yelled.

Jace pulled himself away from the body he was beginning to realize he desperately needed in his life. Permanently in any way possible. Just so long as their souls remained locked.

"I got Magnus! Best warlock in New York and I got him. Nailed him with an arrow right in the butt!" Max yelled increasingly louder as he charged out of their designated room with the large booth back to the score boards they had been viewing.

Jace scooped Max up when he hit him spinning around holding him aloft for a moment before setting the boy back on his feet. "That's great!" Jace laughed.

His joy died the moment he stepped back into their room and he spied Jonathan sitting there talking to Clary.

_Murderer._

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The art gala would have been mildly interesting if Jace did not spend half his attention staring daggers at Jonathan.

Alec leaned into Jace. "Are you ok?" Alec whispered to Jace. "You keep staring at Jonathan."

Jace caught Alec rub at his arm out of the corner of his eye.

_Guess that itch has already started again._

"I know I said before I would try and understand why you two are friends, but come on Alec. The guy is a mass murderer." Jace stated, jerking his head towards where Jonathan, Clary and Simon walked flitting from one painting to the next.

"Jonathan also saved my life. Come to think of it, yours too." Alec responded wandering over to a random painting and pretending to be interested in it.

Jace could see he had zero interest in art. Alec's always practical, rational mind unable to let go long enough to truly view the art.

"One mission does not excuse him from what he did. He killed all those mundanes on it." Jace pointed out, crossing his arms and staring at the random painting of clashing swirling colors.

_This was art? It is just a bunch of colors splashed on the page. I could have done this. Abstract._

Jace preferred Clary's still life drawings a bit more than random assorted colors. He grimaced to himself when he remembered the lost work she had given him burned up in a chemical bath of fire.

Alec turned to Jace, hands clasped behind his back. "I killed those mundanes." Alec stated flatly, body tense. "I killed that coven of vampires, killed the mundanes they had trapped, killed the shadowhunters-" Alec's voice broke off on a harsh inhale.

Time stopped.

_I just called him a murderer._

Jace felt his jaw fall a bit, eyes going wide as he turned his head to stare at Alec. "Why?"

"Because their blood left alive would have made that rift open much larger than when they were dead. I already knew the first two plans had failed. All I had left was Magnus. If he fell we would not have had a world. Jonathan put my blood on that symbol so I could control it if Magnus slipped." Alec said softly, moving to another painting as an elderly couple came up to view the artwork they were currently standing before.

Jace felt his heart clench painfully in his chest, a sharp feeling behind his eyes.

He would have lost Alec to that dark power on a mission. Voluntarily. Again.

Jace grabbed Alec's arm. "So you sacrificed yourself? Do you want to die?" Jace hissed back attempting to be quiet, but based on the look Simon shot them from across the room he was failing.

_Damn vampire hearing._

"Yes. If it kept _you_ alive." Alec snapped forcefully causing some people to shush at them.

Jace's breath froze.

Clary wandered over to them quickly, Simon trailing behind saying something to her. "Everything alright here?" Clary questioned looking between the two of them. "It is an art gala, I would rather not get kicked out within the first hour from whatever petty argument you two have now."

Jace jolted scanning the room for Jonathan. He was alone staring at a family with two young children, a boy and a girl, both children were playing a game of tag near a priceless statue and the parents were desperately trying to rein them in.

"Um…Clary, I really think we should just leave them to discuss their battle strategies." Simon pleaded nervously, eyes darting between Jace and Alec and Clary.

_Thanks for the attempt, Simon._

He would need to thank the vampire somehow later.

Clary put her hands on her hips, tossing her head and leaning back in her trademark Clary spitfire about to be unleashed fashion.

Jace caught Alec roll his dark eyes up to the ceiling.

_Well, fuck._

"Seriously, you are doing work on your birthday? I am leaving in a couple weeks with Lucian thanks to your orders and you cannot put work on hold for one night. Still that desperate to get rid of me?" Clary bit out harshly at Alec.

Alec slid into his head of the institute persona in a blink, voice hard and commanding. "Your family needs to fix what it broke. You need to wake up and take responsibility for your actions and part of that is formal training."

Clary scoffed, waving a hand at Alec. "And you? You are not even the head of the institute anymore because of your actions. Admit it, you have been off since you blew up Edom."

"That's enough." Jace said stepping between them. "We'll leave. We can meet you at whatever Izzy has planned for us next."

If anything Clary's anger turned sharper, burning as she leveled her gaze on Jace. "I feel sorry for the girl you do settle down with. You cannot pull yourself away from your parabati enough to have a normal healthy relationship." She looked about to cry. Clearly it had been something she had held back when they originally broke up and Jace had thought they were mostly on decent ground since then.

_Obviously not. Damnit, there goes the waterworks._

"Clary." Jace pleaded for her to understand.

"Well, he does have a relationship. It's Alec." Simon interjected without a hint of remorse or vindictiveness, he still appeared ready to bolt.

Clary shot Simon an irritated glare, through her shimmering tears. "Simon, you are my best friend. You can figure out how to balance life while dating Izzy." She pointed at Jace. "But Jace here cannot."

Jace clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth. He knew he had not exactly spent any time with Clary since their breakup outside of the training room and frankly it had been a relief.

Jace drew himself into his usual crossed armed dominant stance. "Listen, I broke up with you. I'm sorry you have not let go entirely, but I could not keep pretending I was fine with you." Jace growled, glancing around for Jonathan again. He was located by some statue talking to Lucian and Magnus. "Come on Alec. Let's go hunting." Jace grabbed Alec's arm.

They made it to the main hallway into the gala when Alec wrenched away. "I do not think hunting would be wise." He said, not meeting Jace's eyes.

"_Do you want a report on the fucking cavern you just removed from my blood?"_

Alec's words said before that demon mission. Words Jace had handled so poorly.

"Right." Jace bit his lip wracking his brain for another idea than their usual fallback. "Well, then let's head back to the hotel and dig through the cheap wine they left in the hotel or hit up the gym there. Bet I can still beat you on pullups."

Alec rewarded him with a slight smile at the pullup idea.

"Jace!" Clary called out hurrying to catch up to them. "Can we talk?"

Alec squeezed his shoulder once before leaving the two of them.

Jace yanked him back firmly. "You are not leaving my sight. Not after everything." Alec's dark gaze swung into Jace like a punch. For half a second Jace thought Alec would kiss him, igniting the heat that simmered beneath his skin. "Whatever Clary needs to say she can do it with you here." Jace managed to hoarsely get out the rest of his thought.

Clary appeared slightly taken aback. "What is going on with you two?" She asked slightly wary and staring at Jace.

Alec answered, crossing his arms pitching his voice into his usual exacting command. "We are parabati, the bond has been strained since Edom. Truthfully, I am surprised it still exists." He shrugged one shoulder. "It has not been entirely normal, we've been trying to fix it."

Truth wrapped in a lie. Or a lie wrapped in a truth. With everything that lay between them, which side did it really fall on.

Clary's eyes flickered across Jace's face frowning slightly. "Is there anything I can do to help? I was considering asking Izzy to be my parabati. If there is some issue you two are going through, I would like to know." Clary finally looked at Alec. "Alec?"

"Don't." Alec told her, before turning and walking away.

Jace activated his runes with a thought, it was becoming increasingly easy, aware his eyes would turn gold and shoved his demand for Alec to stay put towards him.

Alec froze back going rigid. "Jace…" A deadly warning.

Jace smirked. "Stop sneaking away." Alec turned around to send him a glare. "I will send something else you won't like if you try again." Jace found himself grinning at the small upturn at the corner of Alec's mouth.

Clary watched them confused, eyes narrowing. "Can a parabati bond change?" She asked.

Alec remained where he stood, so Jace felt confident enough to answer her. "Death, heavenly fire, being changed into a downworlder."

_Eros. And whatever the hell we have done to it._

"All things that have happened to you, for the most part." Clary said softly before her green eyes snapped to Jace, reaching out her hand. "Jace, your angel blood."

"Clary." Alec cut across her rant. "Do not become parabati with Izzy. Take your mission to the Shadowhunter academy. Learn what you need and teach them what you know. Then you come back here." Alec glanced towards the door to outside. "Go back inside Clary. Enjoy your fun. Your freedom is on a timer."

Jace slid his arm around Alec pulling him to his side, ignoring the raised eyebrows of Clary as she turned to go back to the Gala and the others.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

They had worked out in the hotel gym coming up with ridiculous competitions to see who was stronger. It had helped keep Alec's mind from wandering to the opposite feelings of ache and relief his body and blood felt. Alec had forgotten the actual score but knew it remained close to even when Izzy had called them on his phone to come down to dinner and not be smelly and sweaty.

Two quick showers and a childish race to the dining hall that Jace won only for Alec to nearly slam into him left them both chuckling as the frowning attendant ushered them to their seats with everyone else seated at the extravagant round table the gala had set up for the various visitors.

"Nice to see you two smiling for a change." Lucian said as they sat down trying to smooth out the laughter from the race through the twisting halls.

"I won." Jace declared. "Alec needs to work on his cardio."

_You won by one foot._

"You lost to half the upper body strength tests." Alec pointed out grabbing the water pitcher to pour himself some.

Jace threw him a cocky grin. "Exactly. I won half the upper body tests."

"Should I ask in what context these tests are being held?" Magnus smugly asked from his seat, raised eyebrow studying Alec intently.

Alec glanced at Magnus before it clicked, flushing a dark red. "The gym. We did not want to risk getting everyone kicked out of the art gala so we went to the hotels gym." He explained staring resolutely at his plate.

He did not want to look at those glittery eyes that he used to care for. A future destroyed in a flash and replaced with something he thought could never be possible.

Alec's gaze strayed towards Jace. His blond hair shining slightly in the restaurants lights, the strong jawline.

Magnus took a sip of his drink, clearly checking Alec out from across the table before his eyes widened. "Remove the jacket, Alexander." Magnus's lips quirked up slightly, waving his arm in Alec's direction.

Alec snapped his gaze from his plate to Magnus. The glamour was back he realized, he could not see the golden cat-eyes as easily as he once had.

Jace yelled. "Hell no! This is supposed to be a classy place."

"You know what a classy place is?" Simon grinned across the table at Jace.

Lucian chuckled, slapping Magnus on the back saying. "Try and date the guy again first Magnus."

"I'm not stripping for you Magnus." Alec stated, rolling his shoulder. "But yes, the power in my veins was removed."

"That explains so much." Simon said, leaning back in his chair, at Izzy's silent reproachful and confused look beside him Simon added. "What? He does not stink anymore."

Alec glanced over at the vampire at the comment but refrained from responding.

Max giggled from where he sat between Jace and Izzy.

"Catch." Jonathan told Clary tossing her a poorly wrapped gift, before throwing something unwrapped, hard, silver, and metal at Alec.

Catching it, Alec realized the object in his hands was the same canteen as the one Jonathan had carried in Edom. He felt a tug at the corner of his lips turn up at the ex-demon. "Are there runes inside that might kill me?" He joked cynically, feeling Jace shift by him.

"No. Although I think it has some holes in it now. Consider it a memorial. It was serving as a paperweight in my room anyway." Jonathan explained watching Clary as she carefully unwrapped her gift that consisted predominantly of tape and what looked like plain white printing paper.

After resorting to her knife under her dress Clary managed to cut the tape away enough to reveal the present. A frame with presumably a picture in it, Alec guessed.

Clary started tearing up though.

Jonathan looked like he regretted giving her the gift instantly.

"It's beautiful." Clary whispered. "Thank you." She cradled the gift to her chest before showing it to Lucian and Simon on either side of her.

The food arrived shortly thereafter and Alec found that for the first time in months he had an appetite to actually finish his plate.

It was during dessert that Lucian broached the subject Alec had secretly been dreading being voiced.

"How did the power get removed from your arm? Maryse and I have been studying all sorts of tomes in our free time searching for a way to pull that last stain off you." Lucian casually broached the topic, hands spread across the table casually.

Alec exchanged a loaded glance with Jace. Their bond pulsed and hummed acknowledging the exchange without words, easing some of the confusion that remained inside Alec.

"Blood, sweat, and tears." Alec evaded the true answer, sliding the untouched dessert to Jace who passed it down to an awaiting Max who snatched it eagerly.

Lucian sensed he would not get any complete answer with so many people at the table, if ever, and wrapped his arm around Clary beside him. "Well, I have to hand it to you Clary. This group of friends you found, together has made you all the most formidable shadowhunters in this generation." He nodded his head towards Alec. "I do hope Maryse returns your role as Head of the Institute, the work you were doing both Lydia and Maryse have continued to promote but it does not have the same driving force behind it anymore. They are going to need you."

Alec snatched at the opening to drive the conversation away from the power infusion that had sat in his blood for so long.

"I intend to use Jonathan as a driving force behind some of my next requests and changes to the Clave." Alec waved a hand slightly towards Jonathan who merely smiled indulgently. "All he has to do is not get himself killed and not kill anything without prior approval. There are several psychological and medical exams he still needs to pass and if I can ever acquire a psychologist that is willing to work with him, but thus far I think I am on the right track. I have been reviewing the entirety of the accords when I can and have been changing parts. When it is complete I will be sending the revisions to your praetor leader, along with the other downworlder leaders." He glanced away from Lucian to look at Magnus.

All work he had rarely touched since Edom's infection had taken hold. Awareness of how far behind he was on that track threatened to consume him for a moment. Unfortunately, that brought back the old desire to plunge his arm into ichor, which had relieved so much stress, bringing with it the blissful power.

Jace reached out squeezing his wrist.

Blazing white ripped through his thoughts removing the idea of the ichor, leaving behind a slowly beating warmth.

_Jace._

The startling blue and brown in Jace's eyes held him captive. The heat he could sense just a touch away was maddening.

_This is consuming me._

Something hit Jace. Jace cut his gaze away breaking their connection, inhaling through his teeth as he looked across the table. "Please tell me the next stop involves alcohol." Jace said.

_Huh?_

Alec scrambled to gather his frayed thoughts.

_And that was from a look._

Izzy smiled. "Mmmm. Nope. But Magnus gets to see Alec strip." Cocking her head to the side as her smile broadened into devilish.

"Excuse me." Alec panicked, there was no other explanation. Sheer panic.

"Oh come on. It will not be that terrible." Izzy snickered digging into her purse. "I even brought a special present for you in case you try to escape." She held up silver linked cuffs handing them to Jace across the table.

"You move. You die." Alec snarled at Jace, pushing away from the table to give himself ample room to bolt.

Jace twirled the handcuffs, smirking. "Don't leave and ruin all Izzy's hard work to make this evening special for you and Clary."

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

_This should be filed under a branch of inhumane torture._

Izzy had managed to convince most everyone to tag along to the body painting. Lucian had stated he was old and needed to go home taking Max with him along with the rest of the presents that had been doled out. Magnus had dipped out as well with a strained goodbye towards Alec.

Jace silently mourned not being able to go with them, but now that Izzy had managed to do the impossible. Jace was not complaining.

Jace did not want to know how she managed to convince Alec to strip out of his shirt and sit on the stool in just his black jeans. But his parabati sat there staring daggers at his sister, as if he glared at her enough she might remove whatever blackmail she held over his head.

Izzy practically skipped, black hair flying behind her, over to Simon dragging him to another stool. "Sit and lose the shirt. I get to paint you." She announced happily.

"Man, I want to know what blackmail you are holding over Alec's head for this." Simon said as he stripped out of his Marvel shirt that lay underneath the classy blazer.

Alec's glare followed Izzy across the room. "Oh, nothing horrible." She smiled at Alec knowingly. "But sisters know things. I have a lifetime of blackmail to pull from." Izzy responded brightly, practically skipping over to Jace before steering him towards Alec.

_No. Just no._

Izzy handed him some paintbrushes.

_Oh thank the Angel._

Relief flooded him when he realized he did not need to undergo the torture of being painted on.

"Could switch." Alec growled at Jace, glowering up at him from the stool.

Jace twirled the paintbrushes through his fingers enjoying the feeling and figuring out their balance. "And save you from this torture? No, thanks. I think I'll keep you right there. Not often anyone manages to pull you this far out of your comfort zone."

Jace could practically see the rational self-control waning in favor of heated embarrassment.

_He might not flaunt often, but he certainly has never been shy about his body. Why are you uncomfortable?_

Jonathan stood inspecting the paints, but steered clear of Izzy in case she tried dragging him to a stool.

"It really has been removed then." Clary said waving her arm towards Alec's form where his naked skin showed no remnant of the darkness that lived inside him.

Alec clenched his fist at his side, taking a breath and forced his hand to relax.

Jace reached out sliding his hand down Alec's arm and back up in the familiar gesture, watching as Alec's eyes fell closed from the motion.

"Come here Jonathan. Clary gets to paint you." Izzy called dragging another stool over, Alec jolted eyes opening. "I was going to stick you with Alec but seeing as Jace and Clary are no longer together. I thought it might be uncomfortable. Now get over here."

Jace watched as Alec smiled vindictively at Jonathan who wandered over before dropping himself on the stool as ordered.

"Can't say we had casual painting in Edom. More of a bloody massacre." Jonathan stated tossing his shirt to the side exposing the unscarred skin, filled with shadowhunter runes rather than the demonic ones he had etched on his chest a couple months ago.

Jace sent him a look that screamed "must you."

The lady in charge of the studio came in wheeling a large cart filled with paints, mixing pads, and some rags. The floor had already been covered in a tarp long before they had ever arrived.

Izzy danced over to her brother for a moment, squeezing his shoulders. "Relax. It is paint. It won't kill you." She ruffled his hair, Alec immediately batted her away. "It's your birthday, a bit early. You are supposed to be having fun." Izzy smiled down at her brother, before leaning down and giving him a tight hug.

Surprisingly Alec hugged her back, Jace could hear Izzy's soft hiccup at the action before she pulled away wiping at her eyes once and moved over to Clary to repeat her birthday wishes.

The lady in charge, a stout woman with long flowing hair explained to them about various brush strokes that Jace barely heard. Clary had already started with the base on Jonathan a dark blue color while she listened.

Jace smeared some gold paint across Alec's arm, earning him a shiver from Alec as the cold paint touched his skin.

A soft smile formed across his mouth as he drew more paint along Alec's arm covering the skin along his veins in gold.

_Stay with me._

Jace was vaguely aware of Simon and Izzy speaking near them but could not pull himself out of the sudden trance tracing Alec's veins in gold had induced in him. He found himself drawing the various runes in gold, barely aware of the steady gaze Alec had leveled him with. He slid his hand along Alec's neck, drawing the paint down and pushing it along his skin towards the parabati rune.

Alec stopped his hand from touching the pulsing rune on his side.

Their gazes met, blue brown heterochromia against dark eyes.

Jace's hand hovered an inch from the parabati rune, pulse beating loudly through his body.

Laughter from Izzy and Simon broke him out of his trance.

What were they doing? Jace had wanted to ignite that rune in passion, burning them both up.

Jace watched as Alec swallowed, body locked tight under Jace's hand restraining himself in corded unmoving muscles.

"Alec!" Jonathan's voice called from his spot on the other side of Simon and Izzy. "What was that philosophical notion you tried implanting in my head when I was dragging your ass through the bowels of Edom?"

Jace dropped his hand away, the same moment Alec released him, picking up the paintbrush again and swiping a gold streak across Alec's shoulder in silent retaliation.

Alec slowly pulled his gaze away from Jace to turn towards Jonathan. "We make our own heaven and our own hell." Alec intoned, gold paint shimmering along his arm and side.

"Yes. That." Jonathan turned back to Clary holding her hands. "I took his word for it. This place will be my heaven because you are in it Clary. You leaving for the Shadowhunter Academy does not mean it will stop being a refuge and considering I have died, two, three…enough times now."

Clary appeared stricken, chin going up in defiance of his words.

"I do not fear death." Jonathan informed her.

Clary gave a small squeak of a word, shaking her head violently back and forth.

"You do." Alec said turning and staring at Jace, his gaze unwavering. "If you did not you never would have survived. That was your choice, not mine."

Jace held that gaze unsure who Alec was speaking to, himself or Jonathan.

Simon clapped his hands together, some bright purple and florescent green flying from his hands. "As much as I love deep philosophical discussions of damnation this is a birthday celebration not a morgue." Simon admonished them. "Since Clary, Izzy, and Jace need to finish their Picasso paintings on us I suggest we play Truth or Dare or share some embarrassing teen moments." Suggested Simon.

_Another mundane game._

"Don't poison me." Jace warned waving the paintbrush towards Simon with enough force to splatter a few drops of gold on him.

_Stupid fucking sugary death game._

"Hey that's my work you are destroying!" Izzy said smacking Jace's arm away.

Simon chuckled. "I did not poison you. It was one single jelly bean." Simon glanced over at Jace attempting and failing to retain a massive grin. "Ok, that might have been the worst flavor I could find that was not puke." He informed Jace. "But trust me. No one will be poisoned this time."

_Not trusting any mundane game now._

"All the games Clary has introduced me to have been mildly interesting. Start with one that you suggested." Jonathan said lifting his chin up as Clary painted his neck with a smaller brush placing white specks that she feathered out along his collar bone.

"Not truth or dare. I think we all need to be severely drunk for that one. Go with the other one." Izzy told Simon. She had managed to coat him in a multitude of colors, mostly green, purple, and blue in some strange pattern that Jace guessed was supposed to be vines or fire. He really was uncertain.

Jace grabbed a different color paint ensuring Jonathan had not moved from his stool, any more gold on Alec and he would have a past dream that had stuck with him before him.

"You put that on me, you die." Alec hissed sharply.

Jace paused glancing down at the color he had grabbed. Pink. He slowly looked back up at Alec, smirking.

"Jace…" Alec warned already half off the stool prepared to bolt.

Jace weighed his options, flick bright pink paint at his parabati and watch the violence unleash or try and keep the peace long enough for Simon to finish his mundane game.

"So we'll do some random growing up moments." Simon said lifting an arm for Izzy to continue painting but her gaze was on Jace and Alec at the moment. "First question to everyone. Worst awkward moment growing up."

"Are there teams? Because Jace is not allowed on mine until he puts that down." Alec said eyeing the pink container like it was a live bomb set to explode the moment Jace tossed it, hand moving to draw his stele out to activate his speed rune.

_There went my fun._

Jace set the pink paint down. "Relax." His lips turned upward in a smile. "And I do not have any awkward moments, I was always this hot." Jace waved his arms at himself.

Simon gapped at Jace. "Seriously? I said awkward moment not if you were this egotistical."

Jace could see Clary roll her eyes at him.

Jace raised an eyebrow at Simon, choosing a darker color paint and flicking some of it at Alec. It landed on his chest and abdominal muscles without Alec bolting. "I figured they went hand in hand. Can't have any awkward moments if everyone is falling at your feet."

"No one falls at your feet." Alec said flatly moving back to sit comfortably on the stool.

"You're right. It's more of a beg and moan." Jace grinned at Alec reining in his smolder after a moment.

Simon huffed in annoyance. "Anyone else?"

Izzy slathered green along Simon's back with one of the paintbrushes. "I heard the door fall off the hinges in Jace's room once. I thought he was having sex, loudly. You could hear them halfway down the hallway. When I shouted through the door to tell him to keep it down, it ended up just being him and a girl wrestling on the floor that got out of control." She looked over at Jace. "Even though it was innocent I still felt awkward from the sheer noises you two were making." Izzy brushed another speck of paint on Simon and glanced over at Clary. "That was long before your time."

"Mine would have to be when Lilith introduced me to the Seelie Queen only to realize I had already slept with her. Mother never found out, but considering it was supposed to be a big deal to meet the Seelie queen for the first time. A bit awkward." Jonathan informed them.

"Wow." Simon said awkwardly shifting away from Jonathan. "I mean she was like super evil. And young. I mean like kid looking young."

"Simon, the Seelie queen could change her form and the appearance of her age at will." Alec informed him, eyes closed now as Jace painted random swirls along his chest and back, falling back into the strange rhythm he had found before.

"That's…um…not comforting." Simon said. "So what's your awkward moment, Alec?"

Alec cracked his eyes open to look over at Simon. "Probably when I had to slaughter five demons in a mundanes house and these two teenagers were having sex the entire time in the room, oblivious to the demons around them. I think I was about fourteen at the time."

"Oh, I remember that patrol. You were bright red for hours." Izzy laughed in reminiscence. "Jace kept pestering you for details for a week."

Alec glanced up at Jace who still wielded the paintbrush. "I'm still not telling you what I saw. I was busy killing demons anyway. Rather difficult to pay attention to that with five sets of teeth trying to tear you apart. If I remember correctly you were outside with Izzy dispatching the succubus."

"I want to hear the rest of these stories now." Clary said having now covered Jonathan in enough paint he looked like a galaxy of stars painted along his back and chest in whites, blues, and purples.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O


	7. Chapter 7

**Dark Stained Soul**

Chapter Seven

By: Evey

The strange mundane game Simon had introduced them ended up breaking Jace out of his frayed nerves towards Jonathan and whatever trance painting Alec kept inducing in him. They had all shared stories for hours after the painting had been completed and washed away.

Clary and Jonathan had vanished to go check out the other rooms declaring they would commandeer the best room in the suite Izzy had booked them. Considering all the white and grey in the current room they sat in Jace could not blame them. Colors were not a big deal but this was a bit much in the fancy department. Jace silently thanked himself for having already seized the furthest room when he and Alec needed to run through for showers before dinner.

Apparently Izzy had managed to book the Royal Suite using Alec and Maryse's ties as Head of the Institute. Or their money.

Which meant Jace now had Alec and Izzy all to himself.

A slurping sound came from the bed Izzy would be using that night.

_And Simon._

Jace smacked his blond head back on the ornate grey couch he currently remained sprawled across vaguely twirling his stele.

"Sorry. You guys all got to eat dinner already. I had to pick at it." Simon apologized with a small shrug.

Jace glanced over at the vampire between half closed eyes. Izzy and Alec were gone gathering ice for drinks. He sighed sitting up on the couch in the hotel room to look properly at the brown haired vampire.

"Simon. What you heard during the gala…" Jace trailed off unsure how to proceed through this.

Simon waved him off. "That Alec killed a bunch of people. You guys are shadowhunters, killing is sort of your job. I drink blood for a living." Simon glanced away sipping his drink with a faraway look. "I don't ever want to kill someone but the few missions I have been on and seeing some of the other Shadowhunters injured when they returned from a mission. I cannot fault Alec for making the hard decision to keep that rift from opening." Simon gave him a strange look. "And let's face it, Alec would do anything to protect the people he cares about."

_You don't understand the whole picture._

It should not be this easy.

Jace scowled at the vampire's ease of acceptance towards what Alec had admitted. "Aren't you usually against all the violence?" Jace asked. "Isn't that part of your religion you had before Clary fucked up your life."

Simon chuckled getting up and placing the used blood packet in an opaque plastic bag and sealed it shut before dropping it in the trash can. "You really are over her, huh. And yeah its part of my religion but you know I'm a vampire. Kind of makes my outlook on life a bit different."

Alec pushed open the door carrying a bag of ice along with Izzy.

"Drinks can begin!" Izzy called loudly pointing towards the mini fridge for Alec to toss the ice in.

Alec opened up the fridge to toss the ice inside. "Izzy I'm going to go and get some decent alcohol for this as well as something for Simon. Not…this." Alec said holding up the cheap wine the hotel provided.

Jace was off the couch hand wrapped around Alec's wrist before he realized he moved. "No."

_Damnit, my voice just cracked._

The fear punched his gut a second later.

_I'm not losing you this time._

"It's just alcohol Jace. And considering Magnus actually taught me something about it, I think I can make a decent decision regarding it." Alec said closing the fridge and standing up.

An excuse. A lie. Jace knew better, had seen the signs.

_I'm not enough._

Some distant part of Jace had always known Alec would need more than just Jace to quell the scars Edom had left on him. The damnable craving.

"No." Jace shook his head. "I saw you at the gala. It's already started you aren't leaving."

Alec's face twisted in a flash before smoothing out into that deadly calm.

Jace tightened his grip.

Jace could sense Simon and Izzy giving them bewildered looks.

"Jace I'm not hunting for that." Jace could feel the tremble in his arm regardless. "It's a trip down the street. You know that." Alec said softly not quite meeting his gaze.

"Fucking hell I do. When Edom blasted its power through you it burned you alive. You buried your soul inside me! For weeks! And I'm sick of chasing you down right now." Jace finished his rant a bare breath away from Alec.

A swear from Izzy somewhere in the room, Jace did not care.

"Does nothing between us mean anything to you?" Jace questioned softer.

Alec swallowed, dark eyes unwavering from Jace's gaze. "It means everything." Alec brought his trembling hand up to slide along Jace's neck.

"Then say it again. What you said during the thunderstorm." Jace clarified.

Alec stopped breathing for a moment, eyes going wide. "You heard that?" Alec asked so softly that Jace could barely hear it and he stood less than a breath from him.

"Yes. Say it again." Jace repeated, holding Alec's dark gaze with his own.

"Guys?" Simon asked cautiously, clearly confused and wary from wherever he remained in the room.

Jace ignored him. "Say it again." Jace intoned.

Alec stared at him wide eyed, breath locked in his throat.

"Say it again." Jace reiterated desperately.

Izzy interrupted with pure anger in her voice now. "You had two souls inside you the entire time he was in that cell! For how long afterwards!?" Izzy shrieked marching towards them.

_Oh fuck. Only the silent brother knew about that._

Izzy knew Jace had done something with the parabati bond to heal Alec enough to not be taken by the Silent Brotherhood but neither had ever clarified exactly what that entailed, aside from the fact she knew it involved sex.

"Not so loud, Izzy." Alec groaned rubbing his head.

_Right, the withdrawal, craving, whatever it was Alec was going through._

Jace dodged Izzy's hit towards his head, yanked Alec's shirt up enough to press his hand against the parabati rune. Heat flared against his hand and Alec dropped his head forward onto Jace's shoulder.

"Yeah. Don't worry about it. Brother Zachariah already knows. And Alec has his soul back now anyway." Jace informed Izzy, while Alec rested his head against his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it!?" Izzy's voice grew sharper and louder. "I thought this was fixed weeks, months ago. Magnus said his soul was broken. I thought, I thought after that one time he was mended enough to live a somewhat normal life." She jabbed her finger at the two of them. "And you two need to start telling me what is going on."

"Izzy. Stop." Alec pulled away from Jace but only to move to collapse into a seated position on the couch. "Yes. Edom eviscerated my soul or whatever bit I left behind when I fled to Jace." He ran his hands through his dark hair, tugging slightly. "It has proven difficult to remain untainted." Alec allowed.

Izzy walked over to her brother sitting down next to him. "You said it worked and I've seen you, you aren't crazy." She said wrapping an arm around him.

"Remember when he told us how he rips the demons heart out for their power. That." Jace supplied crossing his arms before him a bit calmer now that Alec was not actively trying to leave.

"I think I'm going to go buy that alcohol for us. Let you guys talk. I'll grab Clary and Jonathan for the trip too." Simon briskly announced before high tailing it out of the room and further into the suite for his task.

Alec scrubbed at his face. "May as well tell her everything then." Alec said glancing at Jace for confirmation.

"Yeah." Jace agreed.

_Not everything._

Izzy wandered over to the fridge cracking open the small bottle of cheap wine and taking a swig. "Alright. Hit me." She said.

"That chrysalis, the taint from Edom, imbued power into my veins. I made that chrysalis. It's why I could control it. Closing the rift in the sky was not as simple, the power there did not respond the same. It was why my runes stopped working." Alec took a breath, glancing at Jace. "We accidentally found a way to circumvent the power from sinking in further."

Jace shot him an incredulous look for that explanation. "How about you are an idiot and won't just come to me and instead chose that fucking dark power over your parabati."

Izzy drained more of her small bottle of wine, setting it down before beginning the questions.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Simon had called an hour later asking if it was safe to come back or not because Clary and Jonathan were growing suspicious about Simon's awkward excuses to drag out the shopping trip.

Jace sat with the others as they discussed some game Simon wanted them to try, but Jace could not pull his attention into it. Alec pressed to his side, shoulder to shoulder, legs touching.

"_Don't underestimate the lure of darkness. It keeps pulling me away."_

"_Don't say that. Because in that darkness you reached out towards Jace. Your soul. Your other half. And when you found each other in that darkness you two were never alone."_

"_Can't you see the only reason Jace is not infected is because of Magnus's soul charm?"_

"_No. I see that you cared enough to use something evil to protect us."_

Alec had always been the one of the three of them to view his duty as nothing more than a pawn, a servant to the greater cause to annihilate demons. Alec's explanation about the demon mission to close the rift and essentially using himself as a conduit when everything else failed still made Jace's stomach turn over and a cold sweat to form along his neck. No wonder Alec had not placed them on the same squad. Jace had thought the servant mentality had changed when Alec found Magnus, obviously not enough.

"_Izzy, you have no idea what messed up paths my thoughts travel in my head right now."_

Jace shifted his thigh against Alec's, glancing across at Izzy.

_I should have brought her in a long time ago. It would have made this much easier._

Izzy's enlightened comments as well as her sibling requirement to help had hit Alec hard. Neither had informed her of the blazing heat that simmered between them every time they stood in a room together. Izzy knowing once and suspecting twice was enough for Jace, the rest was too personal. She had also been beyond pissed that Alec had held so much back from her about the infection since his release from the cell months ago.

"_Look at yourself. You are being stubborn not admitting you need help. You told me once to come to you if I needed help. That goes both ways, Alec."_

The infection was out, now all Jace needed to do was figure out how to keep Alec that way.

_Again. Something is missing, that I cannot figure out._

Jace reached out towards the bond feeling the warmth in it, it beat calmly for the moment.

"Jace, it's your turn." Simon said.

_Damnit, what game are we even playing again._

Jace cast an expectant glance towards Alec in the hopes he could discern a hint of whatever the hell he was supposed to be responding to.

Unfortunately, Alec seemed to be in a similar state as Jace, eyes unfocused, staring blankly forward lost in his thoughts and did not even register Jace looking at him.

"Unbelievable. You can't be that bored in two of my games. You fell asleep the one time." Simon grumbled, shoving the shot glass across the small table towards Jace. "You fail, drink up."

"Jonathan's truth question to you was "What was the most disgusting thing you have witnessed as a shadowhunter?" Clary clarified, swirling her drink around in her cup waiting, a tension in her shoulders as she studied Jace.

Jace tossed the drink back and smiled at the question. "Jonathan butchering that demon this afternoon. He looked like he wanted to play in its entrails." He taunted the ex-demon across the table from him.

Clary gave Jace a revolted look.

_He did. You just want to see good in him, you cannot see passed that to the reality of his insanity._

Jace held the comment back, the conversation with Izzy and Alec already drained him. He did not want to raise an argument with Clary.

Jonathan appeared ecstatic at the comment, a large jeering smile forming. "I was hoping I could make you puke. Pity you did not."

"Jonathan." Alec said unmoving from his spot and not changing his gaze.

Jonathan huffed. "Yes, pure one. I'll be nice and gentle with your parabati."

Izzy raised an eyebrow at the comment.

"So where did that nickname come from anyway?" Clary asked, glancing at her brother beside her, red hair falling over her shoulder concealing part of her face.

At least she was not staring at Jace again as she had been doing off and on most of the evening since they all arrived in the hotel suite together.

Jonathan shrugged. "It fit the dichotomy of his sins."

Something in the way Jonathan phrased that dragged across Jace's skull.

Alec leveled his gaze on Jonathan, eyes zeroing in on the ex-demon. "Those demons of yours remain just as dangerous." Alec said without inflection standing up from the couch leaving Jace suddenly feeling cold from the lack of warmth pressed against him. "Izzy, let's go get more ice."

They did not require more ice but Izzy stood twisting her snake bracelet around her wrist to go with her brother.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

New York sprawled out before them. The bright flickering lights below and the more muted static lights of the various buildings stretched out in front of Alec. The lights cast a glow upon the night sky bouncing the cities light back down to shine faintly against the darkness.

_But I want that darkness…_

Alec traced his eyes along the skyline until it blurred from its faint glow to an obscure darkness.

_Obscure like the dream I want to remain in. A dream that keeps the darkness out._

Alec closed his eyes and swallowed hard.

He heard Izzy shift behind him in the study, the furthest room from where the others continued playing their game, the room remained dark.

"Alec." Izzy softly called his name.

Probably wondering why he had dragged her over here only to stand in darkness and silence for several minutes.

He could hear a shriek of laughter that could only be Clary and Simon, the sound carried through the silent suite.

"I thought I could handle it. The breaking of Edoms seals, the closing of the rift." Alec flexed his right hand. "But now that I cannot feel it anymore, I feel blind. I cannot see the power in the ground, cannot sense the demons nearby, cannot taste the electricity. What does that make me?"

Izzy did not move from her spot. "A shadowhunter." She replied calmly, he could hear he shift slightly though.

_Endarkened._

The demonic shadowhunter. His mind supplied before he fully registered what Izzy had said.

He could feel the gaping hole where the power had slithered, slowly filling with the cleansing parabati bond and his own natural lesser power now.

"I tasted immortality. I understand why it broke Magnus now. I comprehend it." Alec turned to face Izzy, her face was lit by the lights outside the building shining faintly in. "It's painful because it has everyone else dying and even with that knowledge I crave it."

"What does it do for you?" Izzy questioned moving to stand beside him.

"Everything… but what I truly want." He scoffed at himself. "Even with that logic I cannot let go of these chains I can feel hovering in my blood waiting for me to drop my guard and drag me back." Alec traced along his arm with his hand. "I can't even bring myself to draw a rune on this arm right now."

Izzy nodded to herself, some of her dark hair falling forward with the motion. "You already have a chain. Jace."

A burning hit.

Like a gash left by her whip.

Alec's skin tingled.

Izzy stared out at the city not looking at her brother as he absorbed her words. "You've already chained your soul to him, Alec. I'm your sister. It was your bond that started your healing process to begin with. Follow it. I can see the old feelings have returned for you. And that pulled you back to Jace, to me."

Alec rolled his eyes at the world outside the study. "They never left, they just were buried."

_Buried beneath rejection. Buried beneath Magnus's acceptance only to be forcefully brought to the light._

And they were linked in a constant confusing battle between requirement to expunge the darkness and desperate blazing need. A need for that slight glimmer of hope that Alec had been struggling to quash since he woke up that morning, terrified what Jace would do with it.

"_Say it again."_

His heart gave a sharp twist, breath stuttering on the thought. He had wanted to desperately. If it had not been for Simon and Izzy he was certain he would have been carving those words into Jace's skin again.

Izzy came up to wrap her arms around her brother, but did not force him to turn away from the window. "Have you told that to Jace?"

Alec inhaled before letting it out in a gust. "Jace and I cannot get through a single conversation without doing something stupid."

Izzy chuckled quietly. "You know I am half tempted to give you two the keys to the other suite I had booked for Mom, Lucian, Max, and Magnus. Figured they would want a bit more quiet than the rest of us. But seeing as no one is actively using it."

Alec finally tore his gaze from the skyline. "What exactly are you implying, Izzy?"

"That I think you have more reasons to stay away from demon ichor tonight than you want to admit to me. But first." Izzy held out her stele towards him. "Draw a rune on that arm."

His thoughts skidded to a stop, staring at the stele. The last time he had activated runes both light and dark power had run rampant through his blood, staring up at that hole in the sky calling him to join its cause.

He wandered over to one of the study's chairs collapsing down on it, holding out his hand for her stele, he could see it shaking even in the dark.

"You are going to be ok, Alec. It's just adamas, you cannot pull power from it." Izzy said placing the stele into his hand.

_If I could…_

Alec pressed the stele to his skin letting it sink in and burn, closing his eyes against the blissful pain, he started to draw a soundless rune along his arm where it used to always remain.

The parabati rune gave a small pulse.

The burn from the stele felt cleansing, a sharp burn into his skin sinking deeper where the infection had lay for so long. He needed that burn deeper inside his blood to scorch it.

Izzy did not comment that he let the stele burn deeper than required nor did she try and pull it away when he dragged it slower than needed across his forearm ensuring it blistered into every layer of skin, seeking the blood underneath wanting to burn even that. The rune at his side hummed against his side in a rhythm.

When the soundless rune was complete he handed Izzy her stele back and waved his own stele across the rune watching as it lit up gold.

"See first step. Now find your reasons not to fall. And if you do fall, remember you have me and Jace and probably even Jonathan to help you. Talk to Jace about it." Izzy said hugging her brother tightly. "But you have to return to the party with me. I think Jace might kill me if I let you out of my sight."

Alec sighed. He needed to broach the other topic that had been stuck in his head.

Alec drew her back so she could look at his face. "I learned something tonight." He paused a moment to ensure she held his gaze. "Clary wants to become your parabati. Do not do it. Promise me you will refuse."

Izzy tilted her head to the side before twisting the snake bracelet on her wrist. "I told you before I do not want a parabati. And as close as Clary and I are as friends, there is not a strong enough connection to want that bond." She sent him a playful smile. "Besides I think it would be high maintenance."

"High maintenance." Alec repeated brow creasing in confusion.

Izzy perched on the arm of the chair Alec sat on. "Yes, you cannot travel the world unless your parabati is with you due to distance making you physically ill. You need to revolve your entire life around one person, every choice needs to include that one person. It is not something I think I am ready for unless it ends in marriage." She smiled down mischievously at Alec. "Maybe not even then."

The relationship with Simon far too new, so Alec let it lay for now.

"Just promise me you will not accept her as a parabati." Alec said looking up at her.

Izzy hopped off the arm of the chair. "Just as long as you promise to actually come to Jace and me rather than tackling that on your own." She pointed at his bare arm, now covered with one single rune, soundless.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Clary was reading Tarot cards off for Jace when Alec and Izzy returned.

Clary had Jace pinned for her next reading of the cards, having already chewed up Simon and Jonathan with the ridiculous notion.

"You do know none of these work, right?" Jace informed her as Alec sat down beside him and reached out to touch Jace's knee at his side.

Instantly Jace's anxiousness for Alec and Izzy to return eased off, his heartrate calming down, before spiking for a moment when Jace spied the soundless rune etched onto Alec's forearm.

_Good, he finally applied a rune again._

Jace glanced over at Izzy and gave her a thankful smile for whatever she and Alec had discussed.

"Shut up." Clary hissed with some bite. "My mom used to be obsessed with tarot card reading and I'm certain Dot, a warlock, made that set work." Clary waved her hand at the cards on table. "Pick ten."

Jace randomly selected ten of the cards.

Clary lay those ten cards out face up.

She made him choose another three sets of three cards after that before laying them all out and consulting the book Simon had bought her.

"Ok so the first cards you chose were Devil, Judgement and lovers…" Clary trailed off as she continued reading the book. "Says here…you consider someone as a friend when in reality they may be different…someone around you is keeping secrets…oh here this bit is interesting…the perception that you have of that person is false. If you let them you could soon be invaded and you won't manage to escape."

Jace felt annoyance building and deeply uncomfortable at what she was saying. Logically he knew the entire book was a bunch of rubbish designed to sound fitting to literally anyone who cracked it open. Yet, it brought up thoughts and connections he would rather not dwell on at the moment.

"You done now?" Jace huffed, crossing his arms in front of himself to stare across the table at Clary.

She glanced up briefly with an unsatisfied frown. "No. I still have to do the next set of cards. Here I'll jump to that section." She flipped the page and began mumbling to herself. "Well, it says positive outcome in your future and talks about free will and oh, says you will have a major upheaval. Your missing card is strength which represents the primacy of the spirit over physical force." Clary paused in her reading. "Ok, this is definitely not like you. It says. It shows that you have an openness of spirit that you are a diplomatic person."

Jace blinked then chuckled. "See told you it does not work."

"Well, who do you consider as a friend when they might be something different?" Clary asked, clearly searching for a specific answer that did not line up with Jace's thoughts at all.

"I thought you said you were getting ice." Jonathan stated to Alec, holding an entire bottle of rum and drinking straight from it before sliding it over to Alec with a challenging grin. "Drink that. Consider it retaliation for stealing your coffee and we'll call it even."

Alec easily took a gulp from the bottle shoving the bottle back towards Jonathan. "You intend to finish that all by yourself?" Alec questioned with a small upturn of his lips.

Jace felt his mouth fall slightly open, staring at Alec.

_Guess Magnus introduced him further to alcohol than I thought._

"Mmmm. Yes. And then test out the limits of the anti-venom and anti-poison runes." Jonathan grinned. "Someone did not want to let me bring in Seelie narcotics so drowning in a bottle of rum seems fairly tame. You can thank Magnus for that terrible decision."

Alec sent an unimpressed look at Jonathan, pressing his shoulder to Jace.

"Clary your cards probably reference our ex-demon here." Jace could see an uncomfortable anger building in Clary. "Give me that." Jace snatched the bottle drinking some of it more as a challenge towards Alec and Jonathan than anything else. It had nothing to do with his anxiousness towards Clary and the uncomfortable feeling of her scrutinizing every move he and Alec performed.

_Keep telling yourself that._

The alcohol surprisingly did not burn as badly as Jace anticipated going down.

_Huh, Simon managed to pick out decent stuff._

"Simon this is actually pretty good." Jace informed the vampire who was regaling Izzy with some tale about how some of the vampires at the Du Mort had vampire speed races using the hotel as the obstacle course.

Simon paused mid speech, staring at Jace. "Did I just hear a compliment from you? Wait, can you repeat that? I did not hear it clearly enough." Simon said with an amused and smug grin from across the room.

Jace sent the vampire a cocky grin. "You have vampire hearing, learn to use it."

"Yeah. See it's interesting. I can tell when people's heartbeats pick up when others walk in a room it's kind of amusing." Simon challenged with no real venom.

Everyone in the room stared awkwardly at Simon.

"Somehow I doubt you have trained yourself to understand the nuances of emotion in a heartbeat within just a few months." Alec stated with a small frown. "Perhaps if you were a century old I would believe it but you are still technically a fledgling."

Simon huffed in annoyance at being caught out.

"Jace, I'm going to go crash. Unlike the rest of you I have meetings in the morning." Alec told the group, sliding his hand down Jace's back leaving a warm trail where he touched.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Jace had made up some stupid excuse to get out of the room and follow Alec within seconds of watching him leave.

He located Alec in the room they had already claimed earlier, pausing when he entered watching Alec draw another of his normal runes back onto his right arm.

"Let me draw your runes." Jace stated, breaking the silence, closing the door behind him, and coming forward reaching out for Alec's stele.

Alec shook his dark head, not relinquishing the silver weapon. "No. Let me draw them first." He continued to slowly drag the stele through every layer of skin, maybe even deeper.

The slower the rune drawn, the more power it could hold. Most shadowhunters figured out their own pace for engraving runes onto their skin, finding a balance between pain and the required power they would need.

Watching Alec though made Jace a tad uncomfortable, he knew the rune being drawn would hurt, but his rune was informing him Alec felt something akin to bliss.

"You know I did not really think about it at the time, but my runes worked on you, when yours did not." Jace swallowed past the uncomfortable lump in his throat. "Let me draw them."

Alec lifted his head up from where he had been looking at his arm to draw the current rune. "It's not that Jace. I need to do this. I need to know the runes work again."

Alright, Jace could deal with that. Maybe. His hands still itched to reach out and touch, ensure Alec was there and his veins clear of black darkness.

He slid onto the bed behind Alec running his hands along Alec's back, before leaning forward and placing a kiss against Alec's spine, mouthing gently at the spot and not moving anywhere else.

A sharp gasp from Alec. "Jace…are you intentionally being distracting because I have two more runes to draw." Alec breathed out, a slight tension in his spine to arch away or into Jace's mouth.

Jace smiled against Alec's back. "Then draw them. I'm not going anywhere and I have not done anything to you." Jace pressed an open mouthed kiss to Alec's spine slightly further up. "Yet."

Jace could feel Alec tremble against his lips as he drew the last two runes on his arm that would normally be there.

Alec set the stele down on the bedside table before turning to Jace with a dark heated gaze.

_Stay with me._

Jace consciously activated the parabati rune with his angelic blood opening up the connection enough to slowly push his heated desire and need for him to remain here towards Alec.

Alec shook his dark head staring into his eyes. "You. I need you. Your soul."

Jace felt his mouth quirk up at Alec, before his gaze fell into something softer and molten. "Then come take me." Jace whispered.

Jace felt his own brain stall out from his own admittance.

Alec froze for a moment. "Jace…" He murmured hoarse.

"I'm tired of fighting each other on this. We both clearly want the other." Jace ended on a hiss when Alec reached out to slide his hands under Jace's shirt carding fingers along his muscles sending blistering heat through his body from the simple touch.

Jace felt himself relaxing when Alec moved to remove Jace's clothing, hands sliding along his sides and arms first leaving trails of want. Then dropping to his pants gliding along his legs etching paths of need. Alec stood up from the bed enough for Jace to step the rest of the way out of his clothes.

The parabati rune began its slow pulse and burn that Jace knew would continue until they were locked together in a different rhythm. That same pulse that told him Alec was alive, was his, and that they belonged to each other.

_I always needed you._

Alec pushed Jace gently down on the bed, following him down only to bite his neck before starting to trace the runes, mapping out Jace's muscles and unseen scars that the Iratze rune had long since melted away from his skin with his hands and mouth.

"Alec…" Jace breathed, arching his back as Alec traced lower with his mouth.

"Hmm. I haven't touched you yet." Alec whispered into Jace's skin, breath fanning along his abdominal muscles.

_Need you lower._

Jace reached down to fist his hands into Alec's black hair. "More." Jace demanded, lost in the sensations.

He could feel Alec smirk into his skin, before Alec rose up and sank his teeth into Jace's neck.

Not hard enough to break skin but enough that Jace jolted from the unexpected sensation, before Jace found himself moaning when Alec wrapped a hand around him giving him a slow stroke.

_Fuck._

"Alec…clothes off." Jace demanded between pants.

Alec continued to kiss, bite, and suck at his neck slowly pumping him and completely ignoring removing any of his own clothes.

The frustrating friction increased, maddeningly bringing Jace closer to the edge. Before he felt a strange pressure further down where he normally stopped Alec from venturing.

Jace's breath caught in his throat as he fought the instinctual urge to push him away.

Alec had already left his neck.

"Jace…tell me to stop and I'll stop." A tongue swirled along the inside of his leg and then over his heavy length. "Or tell me to continue. And I'll tear you up."

_Yes, do it._

Jace could only give a vague moan, body burning with a want he never thought he would desire.

When Alec did not move, Jace slowly opened his blue and brown eyes to look down at Alec.

He felt his parabati rune heat sharply when their gazes met.

_Fuck, that's hot._

Alec laying between Jace's legs looking up at him with a heated gaze burning into him that left Jace twitching, hips moving restlessly for friction.

"I need to hear you say it, Jace." Alec's voice came out rough and hoarse.

_I gave you every part of me already._

The lust and longing Jace felt to be joined with Alec for their souls to meld that way overpowered him for a moment.

"Tear me up." Jace moaned out.

He cried out sharply when Alec engulfed him in a hot, wet mouth.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Jace giving in.

"_Tear me up."_

That single statement had Alec painfully hard in a heartbeat.

Alec watched through hooded eyes as Jace moved and arched to his touches, his mouth.

This, this is what he craved above everything, had craved it in that cell, craved every day since. It overpowered the need for that darker power washing away every thought until all that remained was the burning pulse of Jace's soul in his head, in his body and his own heartbeat.

_Jace, you are mine._

The primal urge to consume, tear into, and meld himself to Jace to ensure nothing remained between their souls was beating inside the bond between them loudly.

Alec flipped Jace over onto his stomach, sliding a hand down his back.

Jace arched into the touch, muscles flexing under Alec's hands, low carnal groans rumbling through the air to hit Alec's body like a touch.

_I want you._

This was what Alec desired more than anything. Jace willing, accepting, and trusting him not to hurt him.

_I've hurt us enough avoiding seeing how you feel to protect my own heart._

Alec leaned forward to mouth kisses down Jace's back following the trail his hands took before returning to Jace's neck. Relishing the heat he could feel from Jace's body and through the parabati rune. Heat he wanted wrapped around himself.

Jace groaned in frustration at the slow pace, pressing himself back towards Alec turning to try and capture Alec in a kiss.

"Stay on your hands and knees." Alec commanded voice low and hoarse, tearing his own clothes off quickly.

Jace remained where he was muscles trembling, breathe panting out of him. "Nightstand." Jace gasped.

For a moment, Alec remained stationary and confused before checking the drawer finding the oil based lubricant.

Alec held the small bottle up, waving it slightly. "Was this part of your plan this morning?" Alec husked returning to Jace to run his hands along Jace's back and down along his thighs, pressing lightly.

Jace dropped his head between his arms a vague attempt to hide. "Yes. Mostly. You complicated things fast." Jace bit his lip on a hiss when Alec pressed a palm between his shoulder blades the other going where Jace had always stopped him before.

Alec waited patiently for Jace to relax before moving again, mouthing kisses across his skin until he felt the muscles unclench, pressing in slowly until he heard what he was searching for.

Jace's breath smashed out of him, head flying up from the sensation, before dropping on a deep moan.

_There._

"Alec." Jace cried out, head thrashing confused by the pain and pleasure.

Alec moved closer pressing his chest to Jace's back, skin against skin, a blazing heat between them.

"Jace." Alec husked into his ear, removing his hand.

_I'm going to claim you, body and soul._

Alec closed his eyes against the image of Jace. The power in that image consumed him, left him reeling with how far he had fallen. Not into darkness, but into their bond. Into an emotion he had tried for years not to feel.

_It never left, just grew stronger._

When Jace permitted Alec to push himself into him, Alec bit off a curse struggling for control amid the heat wrapped around him.

The parabati bond pulsed around them locking their souls closer together, a force shot through him, taking possession of the heat in his veins. Burning.

_You always found me._

Time and again Jace dragged him back and for once their time together was not tainted with the red flickering across his vision.

The burn in his veins filled the space the dark power had vacated, scorching through his body as they moved together.

"Say it again." Jace groaned on one of Alec's thrusts bringing him back to his body rather than buried in their locked souls.

His heart gave a small twinge at the words, old fears rising up briefly. Yet Alec remained enthralled by that voice he grabbed Jace's hips more firmly, wrapping one arm around Jace to hold him still. "I love you." He hissed out struggling for restraint to not hurt Jace and to move slowly against the tight heat.

Jace responded with a low moan, pushing himself back to meet Alec. "Say it again."

"I love you." Alec nearly growled, the heat from Jace ripping apart his control too quickly.

_Say it back._

Alec could not voice the begged thought, leaned forward to bite and mouth at Jace's neck.

Jace made a keening sound and cried out incoherently.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Jace continued to run his hand down Alec's arm. Something he could not bring himself to stop doing and Alec had not bothered to pull away to hinder him even though he was certain they had been laying like this for a while.

Their bodies had cooled, sweat still stuck to their skin and the sheets were ruined, but neither ventured to leave the bed cocooned in their own space of warmth.

"I can't believe we are here." Alec whispered.

Jace glanced up at him, brow furrowing. "I try not to." Jace said, looking away.

Alec reached out to Jace's face to guide him back to his eyes. "Why?"

Jace closed his eyes, shaking his blond head.

Alec carded his hand through Jace's blond hair, drawing the strands back. "Tell me." Alec breathed softly.

"Because I keep remembering how many times I almost lost you. To that darkness." Jace whispered staring into those dark brown eyes as his hand drew down Alec's arm again. Alec had gone utterly still.

_I'm afraid for what I still need to do to keep you with me._

Alec sat up holding Jace's gaze. "You found me every time." Alec rested his hand against Jace's parabati rune. "You summoned me here and no amount of darkness held that back."

Jace quirked an eyebrow up at Alec, a small frown forming. "Funny. I always felt like I was chasing you down. Maybe I should just run the other way, see if you follow."

Alec leaned down to nuzzle against Jace's side. "Then I will hunt you down until I claim you. Because I belong to you. The moment we became parabati I could feel that pulse in my body and in my blood informing me that you and I belonged together."

_Fucking hell._

Alec was going to kill him with that voice.

Jace could feel Alec's smirk against his side when his traitorous body decided it wanted to respond blatantly to that comment.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

"You are….um…glowing."

It was the first words Simon said to Jace when he walked into the kitchen the massive suite held that morning in search of water.

Jace froze hand halfway to the cabinet holding the glasses, checking his arm over for marks or bruising. Or glowing.

He had applied an Iratze to remove the hickeys and bruises Alec had left across his neck and body before venturing out of their room, so he was certain there were no signs on his body outwardly. His runes were not glowing.

Jace grabbed the glass out of the cabinet casting a curious glance towards Simon, before filling the water glass at the sink. He turned around to see Simon still staring at him.

"What?" Jace grumbled out, glancing over his body again. No runes were actively glowing. "Are you trying to pull some joke, because it is failing." Jace said and chugged the water down.

Izzy wandered into the room yawning.

Simon pointed to himself. "Vampire. Sharper, keener senses. Your blood is glowing. Also, congrats."

Maybe it was the early morning but all Jace could manage to do was gape in incomprehension at Simon.

Izzy threw a pan on the stove. "Don't look so surprised, Jace. You two weren't exactly subtle last night. He figured it out."

Jace shoved Izzy away from the stove with a hip. "I'll cook before you poison us. And Simon does not know what he's talking about." He poured some of the oil into the pan before wandering over to the fridge grabbing eggs out, nervousness bubbling like the oil in the pan.

Simon snorted back a laugh clearly not even perturbed by Jace's attempt to smack him down.

"Oh good. Someone with intelligence around here." Jonathan said as he strolled in, eyeing the food Jace was now cooking. Jace could see about five poorly drawn anti-venom and anti-virus runes on his arm already fading from their use.

"How's the hangover?" Jace asked the red haired ex-demon as a chance to get away from Simon's prying conversation, even though he had zero interest in the state of Jonathan.

"There is none. I also discovered there is a rune for caffeine. Although it does not work quite the way I had envisioned." Jonathan responded dragging a chair out loudly and flopping down.

Both Izzy and Simon laughed, apparently something Jace had missed when he was gone with Alec.

"It was like having a hyper active ten year old that wanted to slaughter every demon in a five mile radius. I could barely keep up with him." Simon informed Jace with a grin. "Jonathan also tried serenading Clary with some demon song he knew that none of us could understand." Simon winced in remembrance.

Jonathan just rubbed his head clearly nursing some remnant of a hangover.

Jace raised his eyebrows up at that, tossing all the scrambled eggs on one large plate before placing it on the table where Izzy and Simon had set up the plates.

"I see someone finally decided to join the rest of us." Clary snapped at Jace as she joined them.

Jace cast a glance over at Izzy, she just shook her dark head.

_Great. He had not even finished breakfast and she was itching for a fight._

"Simon told me you had left us all to go out with some girl." Clary said casually but the clear bite underlying the entire statement put Jace on edge, then her voice changed to tearful viciousness. "Only it's not some girl is it."

_It's Alec._

The food in Jace's throat got stuck and he forced himself to swallow past the choking feeling. "Clary, what I do with my life does not-"

"Fuck you, Jace." Clary snarled. "It was my relationship that got destroyed because of this. You asked for time and I gave you that. Then you wanted to end it and I thought you would come back to me after you figured out you could heal better with me. But instead you ran to him the moment you could. And then you just throw it in my face on my birthday."

Everyone else had frozen, but Jace was hyper aware of Jonathan picking up a knife.

"Clary…" Jace started trying to keep both Clary and Jonathan in his line of vision at the same time.

"I thought it was illegal for parabati to fall in love. Or is this just some twisted relationship because of what happened in Edom?" Clary sneered, green eyes flashing in anger and hurt. "I always thought it was strange how close you two were, even for parabati."

Anger flashed through him, burning through his veins.

Jace stood up coming around the table to grab Clary. She moved back before he could intercept her. "Clary. What our bond is does not concern you. I broke up with you because I needed to. You are making a mistake and jumping to conclusions." Jace reasoned angrily.

_Damnit. There were too many ears around for this type of conversation, particularly one ex-demon._

"Really? You just spend all your time with him and suddenly have a date. Do you even have a name for her?" Clary bit back humorlessly, green eyes flashing. "What happened to us, our love? Edom happened and you just forgot me, just like Alec forgot Magnus!" She screamed.

"We share a soul! When you started a relationship with me you knew half of me would always be with Alec." Jace snapped at her, losing sight of Jonathan as his anger veered fully towards Clary. "Look, I'm sorry we fell apart but I told you my reasons and they had nothing to do with Alec."

Clary pulled her phone out and sharp dread spiked through Jace.

"What are you doing?" Izzy asked in concern from the table.

"Telling Maryse." Clary snapped typing a few keys on her phone to bring up Maryse's number.

Jace lunged for the phone, headless of just how incriminating that would appear.

Metal flashed through the air slamming into her phone and through Clary's hand.

Clary shrieked in outrage and surprise staring at her bloodied hand with a knife sticking out of it and her phone in wide-eyed horror.

Jace stared in confusion at the impaled phone, before his attention veered towards Jonathan.

Simon scrambled to his feet gaping at Jonathan and Izzy had her whip out but paused her attack uncertain.

"No one touches my creator." Jonathan growled from his place at the table. "Not even you, Clary. Alec is my one chance to continue living this life and the only person standing between me and the Clave. You tell anyone, you destroy me with them." Jonathan stood up and grabbed Clary's impaled wrist, staring her in the face. "You lost mother, you lost father, you lost me for a time, and now you lost Jace. That's what life is! It is loss and growth and trying to crawl through it all until you find someone else along the way that you can share in that pain with. But that person won't always be the same person." Jonathan shook her. "You cannot cling to just one person and hope they can give you everything you need in life. Life does not work that way. The Silent Brothers taught me that. Alec taught me that. I thought you taught me that. But you are obsessed with Jace you cannot see anyone else including me."

"I'm not obsessed with Jace. You are obsessed with me!" Clary bit out and wrenched out of Jonathan's grasp.

"You play children's games with me but never discuss your life or your problems!" Jonathan snarled grabbing her shoulders and shaking her again. "I spend more time with Alec and Magnus than my own sister."

Clary whirled on Jace, her red hair flying. "Just tell me the truth. Are you and Alec together?" She practically spat Alec's name.

Jace froze, breath locking in his throat.

"No." Alec spoke from the doorway, arms crossed staring at the carnage.

Jace knew it was the wise choice but it still made his heart clench and twist in pain, especially considering the piece of himself he had just given Alec last night.

Izzy shifted in her seat as if she was about to get up but stayed herself, whip still coiled on the floor ready.

Alec stepped into the room, an ominous omen of the leader that lurked underneath. "You have caused enough trouble tearing apart the Shadowworld with your past deeds. I will not stand by and watch you slander myself and Jace and destroy your brother's only chance at redemption." Alec stopped before Clary and Jonathan. "You still want to save your brother?"

"Yes." Clary's voice came out trembling and small.

"Then do not play with politics you know nothing about. Consider your date to the Shadowhunter Academy moved up officially. You leave today. I do not trust you not to destroy three people's lives with one careless statement." Alec informed her. He reached out to pry Jonathan's hand from her shoulder before yanking the knife out of her hand and drawing an Iratze on her wrist.

Jonathan moved away from Clary, head bowed down, he made an abortive gesture to reach out and touch either Alec or Clary before returning to the breakfast table holding his head.

"Clary, go get your stuff packed. You are returning to the Institute with me now." Alec ordered.

Clary reared back. "I don't have to listen to you. You are just trying to protect your own ass." Clary bit out at Alec.

Alec settled a stony hard look at Clary. "I will forcibly drag you to the Institute if required. I have not pressed any charges against you for destroying the Seelie's breeding program, something that has rights within the law. You risk charges against yourself unless you pack now." Alec said with steel laced in his voice.

Clary took a step back in affronted shock and whirled around and stomped off to go pack her things.

Izzy and Simon both exchanged glances.

"I'm going to go help Clary get packed." Simon said scurrying away from the table.

Jonathan gave a low moan of despair. "I hurt her. I hurt Clary." He cried looking up at Alec in broken desperation.

_She deserved it._

Jace held no sympathy for Clary now, not when she just threatened him like that out of jealousy. Even if what she accused was true, Clary and he had not been together in weeks, months now.

Jace eyed the red haired ex-demon, shock still reverberated through his system at what Jonathan had just done to protect Alec, even if the end result was for selfish reasons.

Alec knelt before Jonathan pressing their heads together whispering softly to him.

"You ok?" Izzy asked Jace having left the table and approached him.

Jace shook his head, still staring at Alec and Jonathan. Loathing the swooping feeling inside himself.

"You know, I don't think the parabati curse affects you two." Izzy stated quietly leaning her dark head against Jace's shoulder and wrapping her arms around him, Jace reflexively hugged her back.

If it did become true Jace remained uncertain if he would want to survive that. It would only prove what Valentine taught him that "to love is to destroy" and Jace had been working on teaching himself that it remained an incorrect way of thinking.

_I should have said it back._

Regret for that single statement not being uttered last night shook Jace to the core, even as the thought of saying it aloud made cold sweat break out across his skin.

"If it was going to activate, it would have happened months ago." Izzy continued softly, pointing towards the table with a runed arm in a silent demand to return to the food.

Alec had started a strange ritual of touching Jonathan's hair, face, and sliding his hand across his body to still over Jonathan's heart whispering something to him.

It left Jace decidedly uncomfortable about the intimacy of that moment and he found he could not move from his spot yet, a sick heated twist forming in his gut shimmering in a quiet rage and resentment that Alec turned to the demon first.

"Pure one." Jonathan replied to Alec before standing up, no hint of the earlier rage and violence in his face or body. "I don't want to forget. I will not forget. But she will see me as a monster again."

"Then do not let this crush you. When you died your identity was shattered and you had the choice to become who you want to be." Alec spoke loudly enough that Jace could hear him this time, hand still pressed over Jonathan's heart as Alec stood to join Jonathan.

Jonathan looked up at Alec and Jace could see the blaze in those green eyes from where he stood. "I was a demon!" Jonathan shouted at Alec, the calm Jace had glimpsed for a moment being obliterated in rage.

_A deranged demon._

Jace held his seraph blade in his hand in a snap, nerves reaching their breaking point and the blade igniting in a white and silver flash.

"You are a shadowhunter!" Alec snapped back. "And I did not save you to watch you break because Clary cannot accept all of you." Alec removed one of his blades from his belt and slashed it across Jonathan's arm, red blood welled up. "See, its red!"

Jace's scornful thoughts towards Jonathan ground to a halt, blade still hovering before him unmoving. He recognized this scene only it was reversed.

Jonathan gave a strange choked sound that Jace realized was the ex-demon holding back what sounded like a sob.

After a moment where all Jace could hear was his own thundering heart.

"Shall I get the bandages this time for the reminder or shall you?" Jonathan asked ironically touching his forehead back to Alec's and tapping at Alec's shoulder with a hand.

Alec just reached out with his stele and drew the rune along Jonathan's arm vanishing the cut.

Izzy sat herself back down at the table, stabbing a piece of egg with her fork. "That was dramatic." She waved her fork at Jonathan and Alec.

"It was a reminder." Jace said understanding what he had walked into weeks ago when he had thought Jonathan had attacked Alec.

_A reminder that just because they were infected did not mean they bowed to its will._

It still bothered Jace the ease Alec accepted that violence between himself and Jonathan. That friendship bordered to close to a precipice of insanity he did not feel comfortable watching his parabati draw near.

Alec snapped his gaze towards Jace, eyes going wide before softening when he recognized the understanding Jace sent him. Even if Jace did not fully understand all the reasons behind it and hated how the reminder was performed he recognized the connection.

Jace moved over to the table to finish his breakfast in silence with the three.

Izzy sent concerned glances between Jace and Alec in the silence, whatever she wanted to say she kept to herself probably due to Jonathan's presence.

Alec pressed his knee against Jace's briefly but Jace refused to meet the dark brown eyes.

His own emotions were in turmoil and if he glimpsed his parabati's eyes right now he felt like he might shatter.

Clary returned stomping back into the room with her bag and Simon following behind, appearing morose with his mouth thinned out and turned down and refusing to meet anyone's gaze.

"Let's go." Alec said, standing up.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Magnus knew he needed to let Alexander go, but seeing him truly happy last night had both been a blow to the gut as well as a relief.

_At least seeing him is getting easier._

He had managed to remain collected until saying his goodbyes, only finding it difficult in the way he looked at Alexander. Old habits die hard and that pertained to how he responded to Alexander as well.

Magnus swirled his arms to the right as the blue orb he was currently hovering back and forth before him in meditation followed his command.

_Maybe I could move back to Europe or take an extended trip to Japan. Or Peru. Just give myself time away from challenging Shadowhunters._

His doorbell pinged.

Magnus released his grasp on the blue magic allowing it to dissipate easily, throwing one of his silk red robes on before opening the door.

"Jonathan."

_Think and one shall appear._

Jonathan stood there with a small awkward smile that alone was unsettling. "I'm…uh…not here to kill anything today." Jonathan smiled broken and cracked.

_That's a new one._

Magnus raised one eyebrow, before stepping back and allowing the red head into his domain.

Once Magnus had closed his door he spun around to study the red head who had wandered over to the window leading towards the balcony.

"What brings you here, Jonathan?" Magnus inquired, waving a hand at the windows allowing more light in.

Jonathan flinched in the light, shielding his eyes.

Working with the man had brought some clarity about who Jonathan was as a person to Magnus, but the man certainly had a twisted sense of priorities. And a complete enthrallment for violence. He was broken like so many of the Downworlders that Magnus had helped find their own stumbling way.

"I hurt my sister today." Jonathan whispered and turned around to face Magnus. "The part that scares me is I hurt her to protect someone other than myself. I did not even think of myself until after." Jonathan crossed the room to Magnus so he was practically in his face. "It terrifies me." Jonathan hissed.

Magnus blinked forcing himself not to lean away from the deranged shadowhunter that still stank vaguely of alcohol.

_Everyone has to surprise me sometimes._

"It's called being human." Magnus paused before bringing up his hand to imbue blue magic towards Jonathan's stomach removing the hangover symptoms. "Fear comes with it. It's a fairly normal emotion. Emotions are a part of living. I suppose this is the first time it's truly been tested, your first disagreement with Clary since becoming a Shadowhunter." Magnus said quirking both hands up forming drinks, because he was going to need a coffee if Jonathan actually wanted to discuss feelings this early in the morning.

Jonathan appeared mildly queasy at the idea of coffee or any other liquid. "I think I'll pass. I tried testing out some runes abilities last night to test tolerance levels."

Magnus raised an eyebrow.

_Maybe I should have stayed._

He wandered over to his favorite chair, rotating in a graceful spin before sitting down. "Start talking, Jonathan."

Jonathan sent him an irritated glare. "I don't know what you want to hear."

"How about why are you afraid of caring for someone other than Clary?" Magnus questioned, taking a sip of his drink. A bit to bitter, the coffee needed more milk. A dash of blue sparkling magic and it was perfect.

_And why you chose to come to me._

Jonathan paced the room. "I don't know!" He threw his arms out. "Death! Losing Clary. And losing Alec." Jonathan stopped pacing to look at Magnus something akin to panic shining in his eyes. "The silent brothers ordered me to form bonds. I hate them! They do nothing for me." Jonathan pointed a hand towards the floor strangely before grabbing one of the crystal glasses Magnus had left on a table last night when Catarina had visited. He crushed it between his fingers until the glass shattered and blood welled out. "I lived through Edom's torture for years, but I don't know how to live through this betrayal of my blood, I cannot chose between them."

_Probably Clary and Alec, some fight this morning._

They were the only two that Magnus had personally seen treat the red haired ex-demon as something other a deranged devil. Simon perhaps but Magnus knew Jonathan would not be reacting this volatilely if it had been the vampire.

The demonic identity conflicting with humanity. Magnus supposed he should not be shocked that Jonathan would undergo a mental break as he tried to find a balance in his mind between who he had been and who he was now.

_Injuring Clary must have set this off._

"Emotions inform you about the relationships that surround you and where you fit in this world." Magnus stated calmly studying the redhead as the blood dripped from Jonathan's hand splattering against the carpet.

Magnus could feel his warlock power shimmering to the surface of his skin in preparation for a shield or chains if Jonathan attacked.

Jonathan opened his hand allowing the broken glass to fall to the floor in bloody tinkling pieces. "I don't fit anywhere. Clary is leaving and I hate her for it." Jonathan took a breath pushing a shard of glass further into his hand intentionally. "But she threatened to expose Alec to the Clave and I cannot abide it. He is my creator, he is my god, and he gave me my life." Jonathan rushed towards Magnus nearly touching him with that bloodied hand held towards his face, hovering an inch away. "She can't have him!"

_Well, that is disturbing._

It answered a question Magnus had been harboring about the relationship between the ex-demon and Alexander for some time. The insanity always kept under control with just a word from Alexander.

Jonathan ripped the shard of glass out of his hand he had pushed inside. "Tell me Magnus, son of Asmodeus." He slowly ripped another chunk of glass out of his hand, blood falling to the floor. "How many years did you slaughter and kill when he first took you in and trained you to be the warlock you are today? How many years did it take for you to crawl your way out and find your way here?"

_I barely escaped that torture myself. I plotted to banish my own father and had to crawl through the miles of portals and bloody sacrifices to get out the first time. You expect me to piece you back together. _

"A long time. Longer than it must take you. Jonathan, you are mortal. I chose to leave Asmodeus because I grew tired of the killing and the pain. I did not want the anger any longer. You have to learn to let that anger and hate go." Magnus told him softly setting the coffee aside, he had no appetite for it any longer.

Jonathan did not appear to register Magnus's words or what it took to say them.

"I beat death! Again and again. And their Clave wants to kill me for destroying their enemy. Their demons. It wasn't even me! They want to encourage the destruction of the one person that could do what none of them were willing to do." He pointed at himself, green eyes flashing. "I am in daily danger of being killed because they whisper that I am the enemy. But I was changed." Jonathan's knees buckled and he hit the floor still staring at Magnus with wide green eyes. "I'm supposed to be angelic. I'm supposed to be good." He begged brokenly before his voice turned to a snarl. "And all I want to do is rip their throats out." His bloodied hand ensnared Magnus's red robes and slid down the fabric until Jonathan had his face pressed to the floor and screamed.

Slowly Magnus reached down to rest a hand on Jonathan's shoulder unmoving from the screaming red head.

The red blood on the floor stood out darkly even against the rich colors of the carpet, glass shards glinting in the early morning light.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Jace stood as far as he could from the warlock portal observing Clary and Lucian exchange last minutes goodbyes with Maryse and Simon before the resident warlock opened the portal in a flare of gold.

Jace never thought he would feel relief watching Clary walk out of the Institute with Lucian on her way to the Shadowhunter Academy, but he did.

Seeing that bright red hair vanish through the portal eased a pressure from his body, but twisted his nerves tighter.

_She better not say anything._

Another portal opened as Jace went to turn away and five Clave dignitaries stepped out, stern faces and official clothing.

Jace's attention veered to the monster that stood behind them all. Stitched eyes and stitched mouth, grey robes. A Silent Brother, tall and imposing, silent as death.

_That's not Brother Zachariah._

Jace forced himself not to touch the parabati rune as twisting cold wrapped itself around his body in fear and his gut plummeted. He could never let that Silent Brother touch the rune at his or Alec's side.

He could make out Alec and Maryse both going through the motions of welcoming the Clave dignitaries into the Institute with Lydia as other shadowhunters crossed his line of vision going about their work in the Institute.

Simon approached him quietly. "It's going to be weird only having you to practice with in the afternoon." Simon said with a tinge of sadness, shifting back and forth on his feet. "She should not be punished for guessing correctly. Alec could have waited the two weeks before she needed to leave."

Jace finally turned his gaze away from watching Alec, the Silent Brother and dignitaries to look at Simon. "Don't ever mention it again, Simon." Jace advised coldly turning and walking towards the training rooms to start his afternoon shift.

_How did this get out of control so fast?_

Simon appeared taken aback before scrambling to follow, falling into step beside Jace. "Why? You don't have to give me everything. Just why is it such a bad thing to be in a relationship…" Simon trailed off realizing there might be too many ears around.

_No one knows. And if they do the Clave never explains it even to the parabati taking the rune._

The curse had been something Alec had insisted upon researching together prior to agreeing to become parabati with Jace. When they turned up nothing but rumors and fairy tales Alec had relented and consented to the parabati rune ceremony. At the time Jace had assumed it was Alec covering all his bases like he usually did.

"The curse is supposed to make parabati go insane. It's why Alec advised Clary against asking Izzy to become parabati with her." Jace informed the brown haired vampire, picking up two swords and tossing one towards Simon.

Simon frowned, catching the weapon. "Do you ever regret becoming parabati with Alec? I mean it sounds like it's a lot of work, both emotionally and physically. And then you have this curse hanging over your head your entire life." Simon shook his head. "Izzy is not becoming parabati with Clary. Clary finds herself in trouble often enough and I'm not risking my girlfriend's health on Clary making rational choices the rest of her life. She might be my best friend, but even I know she has made mistakes that would cost someone connected to her like how you and Alec are."

He never would regret becoming parabati with Alec.

"Simon. Stop talking." Jace advised before launching into their sparring session.

The entire training session Jace kept reaching through the bond checking on Alec, ensuring he remained unharmed.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The Clave dignitaries hovered, like flies around a bloated corpse.

Alec secretly despised them but understood this dreaded, long day needed to occur. Now more than ever.

_Jessica._

A shadowhunter that had grown up in Idris, never stepped foot into a true demon den, and had spent all her life studying law. She was the leader of the Clave dignitaries that had been sent and appeared to be the largest threat towards Jonathan.

_And the Silent Brother that needs to examine Jonathan._

Jessica currently sat across from Alec in his office flipping through the file on bloodwork, physical, and psychological exams Alec had put Jonathan through. He could see the displeased frown on her face as her eyes darted across each page.

"He has never had traces of demon essence since his capture." Alec said, summarizing the entire massive binder in one sentence.

Jessica smacked the file closed, her mouth in a thin line the tight blonde ponytail adding to the severe appearance in her face. "I see you have your Institute under your thumb. Every single medic, you even pulled in psychologists from Idris and sent Jonathan to a mundane as well for a second opinion. I'm sure the mundane's opinion might be frowned upon in Idris."

Alec kept his hands casually clasped before him. "I have given you the facts. I understand the Clave desires to replicate the decimation of Edom on the other hellish realms. I am here to tell you, it cannot be replicated. I believe Maryse already informed you of this data before you arrived."

_And wasted my time and yours._

Jessica smiled a slow upturn of her lips. "I admire you. Cunning and ruthless enough to enter a Hell realm and single handedly destroy it and live. That gives you quite the standing back in Idris. I do not care if it can be replicated I want to know how."

Alec leaned back slightly, knowing his eyes went hard. "Power resides in every part of every hellish realm. Every demon in those realms understands their land better than you do, better than anyone you send. You intend to create a sacrificial pyre of every man, woman, and child you throw in there. They will all die."

The Clave dignitary pulled the binder to her chest, mouth thinning further, before turning into a vicious smile. "But you did not. I know you came back from Edom possessed with something. The records show you killed two of your own. Was that the demon inside Jonathan or something else? All of your reports remain redacted and magical corruption wiped out every video of your healing process in the subcells."

"The reports have been redacted to keep foolish people from replicating it. However, I will inform you that I did require the assistance of the warlocks to heal from destroying Edom." Alec informed her, the partial truth would keep her away from where she could never venture.

Jessica drew her finger along his desk in a slow line. "Maryse has refused to give up the appearance of the symbols found in Edom. You were there, you must know what they looked like, draw them."

Alec kept his face impassive. "I do not recall the appearance any longer. If I had Maryse would have been able to provide you that symbol." He replied easily.

Jessica's lips thinned even further in displeasure. "Where is your devil? He does live within these walls, does he not?" Jessica asked impatiently.

Alec felt his mouth turning down slightly at the clear insult. "Jonathan knows when he is required to be in my office."

The Clave dignitary turned to glance at the clock, showing Jonathan was ten minutes late.

"Already breaking orders." She clicked her tongue in disapproval.

The door slammed open.

Jonathan strode in wearing a completely different outfit than he had been in that morning, red hair spiked in a new style a slash of golden temporary dye in one streak along the side of his head.

_At least he is here._

Alec frowned at the underlying tension he could see in Jonathan's shoulders that smoothed out as soon as he met Alec's gaze, green eyes blazing with determination.

Jonathan offered a hand to the stunned blonde dignitary. "Jonathan Morgenstern. Pleased to meet you." He sent her a charming smile.

Jessica took Jonathan's hand warily but shook it anyway.

When Jonathan released her hand Alec noticed him surreptitiously wipe his hand against his leg, before throwing himself on the sofa and sending Alec a devilish smile. "I killed everything in a five mile radius for you last night." Jonathan glanced at the dignitary. "I dragged the demon's entrails down the street and sang demonic chants hailing..."

Jessica paled considerably.

"Jonathan." Alec warned. "Not helping."

Jonathan huffed, waving a hand in a casual gesture towards Alec. "Everything in a five mile radius near the gala was taken out last night. Sunlight runes were used to properly dispose of the bodies." He purposely glanced at the blonde in the room. "Have mercy on me for I have sinned in your name." He drawled and smiled at Alec flashing his teeth.

_Stop taunting her._

Alec quirked one eyebrow up at Jonathan in question, before returning to his plan. "Good. Then I have another section of New York for you to cleanse, then I require you in the gardens to teach the gardeners and medics more of the antidotes." Alec opened his desk drawer pulling out the planned folder and pushed it towards Jonathan.

Jonathan came around the desk in a prowl, sliding his hand along the desk and leaning towards Alec nearly brushing their foreheads together before snatching the folder up. "Do I need to stay and howl at the moon, savagely drink some blood for her, or can I start my mission?" Jonathan amusingly asked.

It left a strange burn across his synapses pulling that remembered darkness from the back of his mind forward. A time surrounded by blood. Alec reached out through the parabati bond for Jace until it faded.

"You aren't fooling me." Jessica stated crossing her arms studying Jonathan as a specimen, there was another shine in her eyes that Alec instantly disliked. "You cannot change. You will always be a monster."

Alec knew she was goading Jonathan, waiting to see him crack and lash out, just as Jonathan was taunting her. Alec could feel himself tensing waiting for Jonathan's reaction.

"You think I'm a threat." Jonathan leaned over the desk towards the blonde. "Never take me from Alec and you have nothing to fear." He hissed subtly.

Alec reached out and drew Jonathan back from the possessive stance. "Go, do as I asked. Dismissed." Alec ordered. "You will be seen by the Silent Brother at 1900."

Jonathan smirked deviously at the dignitary before strolling out of the room casually.

Alec turned his attention back to Jessica who had one eyebrow raised in his direction.

"I can see why you want to argue with the Clave regarding Jonathan's death." She pointed out with a small sneer. "You keep him on a tight leash. I'll be staying here for a week to ensure you truly have him under control and that Jonathan still proves useful. If his usefulness does not outweigh his crimes than he will be killed immediately. Let's see this file of new data he has procured for us regarding killing demons and healing against their toxins as well as the list of missions he has accomplished."

_No pressure._

Jace careened through the door a second later, heterochromia eyes wild before he took in the scene of Alec and the blonde dignitary sitting across the large mahogany desk from each other, the large binder clutched to Jessica's chest.

"Everything ok?" Alec questioned.

_Could he sense when I reached for him that easily?_

Jace stood awkwardly in the doorway now, but shifted to lean casually against the doorjamb, arms crossed. "Yeah. Just came to see if you had any free time today."

Alec inclined his head towards Jessica's blonde form. "Unlikely. I'll see you this evening and give you an update."

He hated needing to dismiss Jace like this, but until he could figure out a way to allow them safely out in the open he was not risking it.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

The rich carpet had been cleaned of the bloodstains, the shattered glass removed, and the blood stored carefully away.

_Not a warlock for nothing._

Magnus did not agree with most blood rituals now, but he also understood precaution. Jonathan's blood was an insurance.

No one else wandered through his loft and after a quick check on his wards Magnus unlocked his safe. The wood and gold clockwork pieces unwinding and moving apart. He pulled out the sheaf of paper Clary had delivered to him months ago with fingers covered in metal rings.

The top page Magnus did not care about, all it contained was a clearly forced apology that Jem, the silent brother, must have required Jonathan to write as a therapy exercise.

He flipped to the next page where the list of escaped greater demons lay. The list spoke of an innate fear Jonathan felt towards those greater demons hunting him down after the destruction of Edom.

Magnus understood precisely how he himself used his power to escape Edom as it all came crumbling down and the spell required to learn specifically which greater demons had crossed the threshold would be immense.

_That chrysalis had been surrounded in buckets of blood._

Thankfully, the issue of the chrysalis had been resolved quickly once Jonathan had shown up. Although, now Magnus wondered if those summoning circles had started off as some other ritual used to create the list he now held. It was not like Jonathan had a lot of spare time before he was captured. A few days at most.

_Jonathan did say he built that chrysalis. Unless he lied._

He flipped those pages over and landed on the page he was searching for.

_A spell to a soul._

Jonathan's soul.

Magnus sat down in his chair.

"Why would you give me this power over you, Jonathan?" Magnus whispered aloud staring at the sheet, turning it over carefully.

The entire sheet had been covered in a mix of Nephilim symbols and demonic language. The Nephilim symbols presumably allowed Jonathan to write it while in the Silent City and send the paper on its way without anyone detecting anything.

_I did not even detect anything until I got home._

Think.

The number of times Magnus had thought about this sheet sitting inside his safe had left him running in circles thinking it an elaborate trap for weeks.

Jonathan had made it clear he both missed and hated being a demon. During their time spent summoning strategic demons and researching another idea, Jonathan had informed him several times he did not want to be infected during any of their demon summoning rituals regardless of how messy and he had paled to a white sheet upon seeing Edom's power again in that orb Izzy brought him.

_You do not trust yourself, Jonathan._

And rather than become a demon Jonathan gave that power to someone he must have deemed powerful enough and trusted by Alexander to ensure that if it did happen they could kill him. Alexander's past lover. The son of Asmodeus. Himself.

_As much as you relish the violence you fear yourself. What this new life as a shadowhunter brings._

Magnus briefly wondered why Jonathan did not give the spell to Alexander, but dismissed the thought just as quickly. Alexander would have still been infected, losing his mind as the last remnant of his soul turned black from the darkness inside him at the time.

_Because the person that saved you was dead in your mind. And you feared going down that same path._

And the worst monsters are always the ones we create.

"And you and Alexander created yourselves as the monsters in your minds." Magnus traced some of the demonic letters across the page feeling the hint of power that would lead him a direct line to Jonathan's soul.

The previous night proved to Magnus that Alexander remained in recovery because of Jace, he could still see the black lines written across his soul if he searched hard enough, but it was a far cry from what his soul had once looked like, tattered and broken and the remaining remnant practically a solid black. No matter how much that thought hurt, it was a fact and he would accept it. He still secretly wanted to know how Jace managed something his own warlock magic could not, but his suspicions of what that answer entailed kept him from asking. Abiding by it proved more difficult but it was getting easier.

Magnus had been curious why Jonathan appeared so adamant to spend time with himself, perhaps this sheet was the reason. Searching for a way to locate the paper and destroy it before Magnus could use it against him. Yet, the mental break earlier provided a clouded view of Jonathan and his motives now.

_Who do you have Jonathan? Now that Clary is gone._

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O - O

Jace stared at what might have been a Kelpie as it rose up out of the water before himself.

Being cooped up in an Institute, with a Silent Brother breathing down your neck, had forced Jace to seek out at least one mission, since he could not drag Alec away from the blonde Clave envoy and his duties. Whatever he had felt through their bond kept an itch in the back of his mind that drove him outside to do something, anything. Action had always been Jace's fall back.

The Kelpie, creature, had opaque blue eyes and razor sharp teeth, but the part that unnerved Jace the most was its pale, naked body and normal human looking skin rather than algae or blue skin as a Kelpie should.

He swung his blade as the creature lunged for his neck, razor sharp teeth snapping shut close enough Jace could feel its rancid spittle land on his skin.

_Shit! It moves fast._

The creature faded from Jace's eyesight and his seraph blade swept through empty air where it had just been.

A hiss behind them and the creature reformed.

_What is it!?_

Jace swung quickly burning through an agility rune and managed to chop its hand off on the next attack, pale skin turning to knarled bone as the hand fell and hit the ground. Rotted and dead.

_Ghoul? Undead?_

Just need to stab it a lot and whittle down its defenses.

Pale, blue eyes formed in the air first before the rest of its body a distance away from Jace.

Valentine had forced Jace to study every demon until he understood them inside and out. Both living and extinct versions, he had no idea what this creature was.

Jace grabbed a handful of mud and threw it towards the creature as it leapt for him again with a shriek, blood dripping from its mouth between razor sharp teeth, he threw himself into a roll away from the charge feeling its razor sharp claws slash across his side, leaving a burning trail of pain.

_Fuck! That hurt._

This time when it faded from his view the mud Jace had thrown on it zapped around the small clearing showing him where the creature would reform.

It reformed directly in front of Jace with a howl, he locked its remaining taloned hand with his seraph blade, unfortunately that did not stop its razor sharp teeth from sinking into his neck, it let go a moment later when Jace felt a surge of angelic power sweep through him forcing it to release his neck.

Blood soaked into his shirt, Jace drew his seraph blade back and impaled the creature through the chest.

It smiled. In horror Jace watched as the creature morphed from its pale, sickly, bony appearance into runed muscles and dark black hair.

Jace twisted his blade and sliced it harshly through the creature's chest and stomach, before slashing his blade across its neck.

The head hit the ground, no longer male with black hair and instead a bare skull, empty rotting eye sockets, and mangled, ratty dead hair lay on the grassy ground.

Jace touched his parabati rune, he could still feel Alec. He shuddered.

Jace swallowed back the bile that was growing in his throat, trying to regain control of his breathing. Adrenaline still pulsed through his system leaving him shaking.

Whatever it was Jace had just killed should not be getting up anytime soon.

Jace clenched his fist to ensure he could move again. The image of Alec dying by his hand seared into his head harder than all the images of Clary from the Owl had.

"_You will kill him."_

Jace froze. Ice filled his veins curdling through his body quickly. That was not Jonathan that was not the Owl, that voice was something else entirely, high pitched and animal.

Jace clawed his hand into his neck where it had bitten him, tearing at the skin. "Get it out. Get it out!" He screamed though no one was with him on this mission.

_No. I will not be possessed again. I refuse!_

With a thought Jace activated any healing rune on his body he could think of, tearing at his skin.

The sunlight gleamed down from above. Jace blinked, he was laying on the ground staring up at the late afternoon sky. He turned his head, the decapitated skull with empty rotting sockets stared back at him less than a foot away. He jerked back, disgust roiling through his system.

"Alec?" Jace croaked. His mouth felt cracked and dry.

_Alec is still at the Institute…_

Jace carefully touched his neck with his hand, it came away bloody.

_Don't panic._

Just take pictures of the creature and get a team here to perform an autopsy, do not think about the time you just lost.

_Three hours of time._

Jace busied himself with his task desperately curtailing the growing shake in his limbs as his mind kept circling back to the three missing hours. He shakily drew a shield of mind rune over his skin hidden beneath his shirt near the parabati rune to draw extra power from that source without actually blocking Alec out.

_You're fine._

Just got knocked out for a bit.

The fear continued to pound through his veins until he dropped back to the ground with a growl.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

"Jace!"

Jace had managed to stumble halfway to the Institute infirmary when he heard Alec's dark voice call his name, the tiled floor echoing his jarring footsteps.

_Don't come near me. Please. I don't know if I'm possessed again._

Jace quickened his pace but felt a hand wrap around his arm pulling him to a halt, searing into his skin.

"What happened?" Alec demanded. "I felt…" He trailed off as the blonde Clave envoy approached them, Alec's mouth thinned in annoyance and his eyes narrowed slightly before Jace watched it drop away.

Jace swayed on his feet, locking his legs to keep from toppling over. "I think someone is raising Kelpies as undead or something. I need to get to the infirmary, check for infection."

_Possession._

Jace clenched his fist but could not get it to move through the cycle of fingers.

That cold fear tightened around Jace's chest further, constricting his breathing.

The envoy seemed appeased by the logical approach, she twirled one of her loose blond locks around her finger studying Alec with half a smile.

"Seelies beating down your doors eager for a war. A demon living in your home. What blasphemy towards the Angel will you accomplish next, Alec?" The blond envoy questioned snidely.

Jace had disliked her the moment he had stumbled into Alec's office after that flare of warning through the parabati rune, but the way she was looking at Alec sent warning bells screaming in Jace's head.

"I'm taking my parabati to the infirmary. I'm sure you can find your own way to the subcells and Jonathan for the review with the Silent Brother." Alec informed the envoy, pulling Jace against him to help him the rest of the way towards his goal.

She curled her lips in a grimace. "You trust your demon too much. It will kill you." She spun on her heel and stalked away.

Alec released a breath and Jace could feel tension bleed out of Alec's shoulders before he tightened his hold around Jace's side guiding him to the infirmary.

The cold fear started to melt away against Alec's side even as Jace tried to convince himself to pull away.

_I might be possessed. I might be possessed._

The cold chant continued through Jace's mind as Alec spoke to a medic, continued when Alec eased him onto one of the beds.

When the medic cut his shirt away revealing the shield of mind rune Jace could feel Alec freeze, even though he had remained standing at his side.

"I'll order the needed drinks and herbs for you to eat to ensure any possession does not take effect." The medic informed Jace, swabbing the area around his neck and side where the creature and injured him. "You must remain in the infirmary. And unlike that other medic, I will not let you sneak out for a mission after a day." The medic explained to Jace with a stern smile.

Jace glanced over at Alec in the hopes he could pull rank.

"You stay here." Alec commanded staring down at the shield rune scrawled across Jace's stomach with a worried frown. "I'm not losing you to some demon."

Once the medic had left to fulfill the required medicine Jace needed Alec sat down on the bed beside Jace, running his hand along the shield of mind rune.

"Did you draw it before or after you suspected yourself of possession?" Alec demanded cautiously.

Jace kept clenching and unclenching his hand trying to push the images that demon had forced him to see in its dying moments away.

"After." Jace swallowed back the bile again. "I sent pictures to Izzy with a request to get an autopsy team out there. I could not recognize the creature. Not even sure if it was a demon." He could not look at Alec, kept seeing the blood pour from his chest and the head rolling. He brought a hand up to his mouth and swallowed again tasting bile.

Alec hovered his hand over the claw marks before touching Jace's shoulder just below the jagged wound the sharp teeth had torn into his neck. "I felt this burning through my neck in my veins." Alec whispered.

Jace stopped clenching his fist, slowly looking up to meet Alec's dark gaze.

They had always known when the other was injured even something as simple as a slice across the hand. But what Alec implied spoke of a further linking of their souls.

_That energy I felt surge through me._

The medic returned carrying a tray with five separate cups, all smelling of earth, grass, and flowers. "Drink all of them. Start right to left." The medic informed setting the tray next to Jace's bedside and folding his arms to ensure Jace did as directed, a glinting needle held in his hand that looked like it might double as a stele.

The first cup tasted bitter and left Jace's upset stomach roiling further.

The second was not much better.

Jace sent a glance towards Alec and the medic, both had their arms crossed waiting for him to finish.

_Couldn't get the nice pretty medic today._

Jace sent a glare at the stern medic and picked up the third cup. It smelled like rancid poison instead of flowers now.

"Drink it, Jace." Alec ordered a harsh edge to his voice.

Jace looked down at what used to be a fairly clear drink, it appeared muddy and brown swirling with muck.

He could feel his heartbeat slowing down.

"_Kill him."_

He recognized that voice now, the Seelie Queen.

Jace lunged off the infirmary bed towards Alec going for his artery.

Alec's longer reach caught him around the throat, effectively cutting off his attack and breathe in a second and slammed him back into the infirmary bed, a hand pressed against the parabati rune.

Jace felt something sharp go into his arm followed by another burning sensation and then fire.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

_I'm getting really sick of waking up in the infirmary._

Jace groaned at the ache in his neck and throat.

Blinking his eyes open he glanced around the room to find Maryse sitting at his bedside, holding his hand.

"Maryse?" Jace croaked. His side, neck, and lower leg all burned.

Maryse startled from her hunched position back into her usual straight backed stance.

"Good. You are awake." Maryse tucked invisible hair behind her ear, smoothing out her clothes with a hand. "You survived some unknown parasite the Seelies have attached to some of their people. We are unsure if this was a direct attack towards this Institute or if this parasite is something new that escaped the Seelie realms."

_Awesome. I had bugs crawling around inside me._

Jace felt his skin crawl and his stomach rolled at the idea, reached up to touch the thick bandages at his neck.

Maryse handed him a steaming drink that smelled like flowers. "Our results show this parasite is akin to a Seelie mind control. Alec, the medics, and the Clave's Silent Brother were successful in removing the parasites. You were lucky a Silent Brother was on site and that Alec was directly next to you when those parasites took over."

Jace downed the whole thing before he could think about it. He did not want a repeat of earlier. And refused to think about mind controlling undead monsters crawling around his body telling him to kill. He swallowed down the dregs of the tea and nearly choked. Those bugs wanted Alec dead.

_At least Alec is not here._

"Where's Alec?" Jace asked as the herbal medicine soothed his throat. He pushed himself up to a sit and began searching for his shirt in the nearby drawers.

"He is fine. He was required to continue his duties with the Clave envoy." Maryse gave him a small smile. "I do not think she was pleased to be left waiting." Maryse reached out to grip his hand. "Jace, your angel blood is getting stronger. Half the bugs the medics and the Silent Brother pulled from your body were already dead."

Ice shot down Jace's spine. He suspected the parabati bond not his angel blood decimated those parasites inside him.

Finally managing to locate a shirt that Alec must have left him since it was a different color than what he had been wearing earlier. He pulled the dark shirt on.

"Want to explain why you went out on mission, solo." Maryse clipped in a stern tone. "You risked your own life. You risked Alec's life when you returned. What did it want you to do?"

"I picked a small mission. I did not think it would end like this." Jace said grabbing the pants from the drawer next and wriggling into them under the covers. Admitting those bugs wanted him to kill Alec would ensure he would not see his parabati and Jace was selfish enough to not allow that.

"Precisely. You did not think." Maryse rubbed her head and sighed. "I raised you better than that Jace. You know the rules and why you always take a mission with at minimum two people." She glanced over to the closed door to Jace's room. "Is this about the Clave being here? I understand how much you dislike them considering how often they have punished you and everything you have been through since Clary stumbled into our lives."

Jace resolutely did not pause in finishing getting dressed. Once dressed he tossed the sheets off and rolled up his pant leg to inspect a spot that had been paining him. A strange rune stood out on his leg surrounded in angelic symbols.

"Jace." Maryse snapped.

He yanked his pant leg down, gaze snapping to Maryse, his brow creased in confusion.

"You go out solo again and I will be forced to send you for a psych eval. The last time you started going out solo you were possessed. When I took over as Head of the Institute when Alec got sick he already had a psych eval drawn up for you, but had never pushed it through. You pull another stunt like this and I will take you off duty until you get your head on straight." Maryse ordered.

_Definitely do not want some stranger poking around in my head telling me how to think._

"I'll talk to Alec. And make sure I bring him or Izzy with me from now on." At her disbelieving stare, Jace added. "Promise."

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

"_Can you feel it?"_

"_Always."_

"_Use it!"_

The memory of the chrysalis screamed through Alec from the power the Silent Brother emitted and he was not even the one being interrogated. He locked his legs against the pressure of angelic power and kept his arms crossed, silently thanking seeing Jace's shield of mind rune which he had etched onto his own skin on the way down here.

Jonathan picked himself up off the floor where he had been screaming a moment before, glaring at the Clave envoy. "You'll be screaming." He spat some blood out of his mouth. "And begging when I am through with you." Jonathan growled.

Jessica, the Clave envoy, barely twitched from her spot standing with arms crossed as the Silent Brother used his enhanced angelic powers to ensure Jonathan answered.

Alec understood today would end in torture, Jonathan had known as well. Yet, Alec had not anticipated Jessica's viciousness towards Jonathan. Every answer he had answered already at the Silent City and this was just a statement of power.

_Power, good or evil was still power._

Alec shifted slightly when Jessica brought out her stele and a chunk of electrum.

"You want to know what agony feels like demon?" She snarled enraged from the same answers she had already read, she pressed the electrum into his arm and growled annoyed when his skin did not react, pushing her stele to Jonathan's arm. "You destroyed everything, destroyed so many lives, my life. Tell us how to destroy the other hellish realms. How to reach the other gates to the souls tortured there."

Jonathan just smiled, daring her to inflict the pain he knew he could handle. "I don't follow your orders." He nodded his red head towards Alec. "I follow his."

_The choice between one evil and another. There was no choice between the two evils, you disposed of both or channeled it for your own._

Jessica started to etch the agony rune into Jonathan's skin, her blonde ponytail pulled back exposing her neck.

"Jonathan, be ruthless." Alec uttered the command just loud enough for the Clave envoy to hear him.

For one heartbeat Alec watched as Jessica paused in drawing the agony rune before Jonathan exploded out of the chair breaking her arm and ensnaring the stele from her grip, pressing it into her neck before the Silent Brother could lift his arms and wield his angelic power. Blood trickled down from where Jonathan had the stele pressed into Jessica's neck.

"What are you doing?" Jessica screamed terrified. The Silent Brother brought up his arms, Alec could feel the pressure in the air of that angelic power about to be unleashed.

"Showing you control." Alec found himself smirking even as he felt the Silent Brother's power building towards his skull. "Jonathan drop her. And mercy."

Jonathan dropped her immediately, stepping over her gasping form easily and approached Alec before turning to face the Silent Brother the stolen stele in his grip.

"I'll chop and slice her up if you want." Jonathan said casually, studying the silent brother who had paused in his attack now that Jessica was not in immediate danger.

Alec let out a slow breath. Counting on the Silent Brother to adhere to their code to not interfere unless fully forced had been a bet.

Alec stepped around Jonathan kneeling before the Clave envoy where she lay holding her neck. "I control him. No one else. He remains here. You will not send another soul into those hellish realms." He dropped a charred mess before her, feeling the Silent Brothers power easing off their minds. "That is all that remains of your symbols you want to understand. I will tell you the reasons Jonathan remains alive tomorrow when I call you to my office." Alec stood up to look down at the blond woman, blood trickling slowly from her neck under her hand. "Remember that I let you live today."

Alec turned away and opened the door to the interrogation room.

"If the answer does not lay in Jonathan's blood then it must lay in yours, Alexander." Jessica growled as she picked herself up from the floor, panting as she held her broken limb.

_It does._

Alec turned towards her. "I knew you would ask that. I did destroy Edom." He pulled out a vial, setting the filled vial on the floor before him. "You won't find anything in my blood either."

Jonathan made an abortive gesture as if he would snatch the vial from the ground but held back and instead smiled deviously at the Clave envoy and gave the Silent Brother a mocking bow before exiting the room.

Alec turned and left the room as well, letting out a breath only when they reached the elevator and stepped inside, pressing the button back to the ground floor.

"We could always crucify her." Jonathan suggested mildly inspecting his nails and picking some of the blood out from under them.

"She is an example. I need her alive. The Clave needs to understand I control you. And if I want to implement the Downworld into my plans I need the Clave to bend to my will. Leadership is a delicate balance between respect, vision, and fear." Alec explained leaning his head against the wall.

_Don't second guess._

Angel, he was tired. The entire day had torn at every vestibule of patience and will he could muster. And it was not over. He needed to go back and check on Jace before figuring out his next move towards the Clave to keep Jonathan alive and push his Downworlder agenda forward.

He could feel that dark call hovering inside himself, wanting to darken his veins again.

"Find what the other four clave envoys are doing and what they are asking about. Involve Izzy if you need to." Alec ordered Jonathan, opening his eyes enough to look over at the red head who stood tracing the partial agony rune across his arm. "Sleep first." Alec commanded.

The elevator door pinged open.

"Life is a struggle." Alec reminded Jonathan when the red head did not move immediately.

"Pain means you are alive." Jonathan responded tonelessly before exiting the elevator.

O – O – O – O – O – O – O

"You are released from the infirmary so long as you crash with me tonight. You get to return tomorrow morning for a checkup." Alec informed Jace as he strode into his medical room. "Izzy has been working through the autopsy on the creature you killed, so we'll have more data tomorrow about if it was a true attack or something that escaped the Seelie realm."

Jace nearly did a double take when Alec came in. Dark circles, pale, and an unseen weight to his shoulders, the brief carefree parabati Jace had glimpsed the night before ground away under the leadership Alec held throughout the day.

"I am the one that got beat up by the evil Kelpie of parasitic hell. And you look worse than me." Jace pointed out, eyes tracking Alec's movements and scanning his body.

Alec crossed his arms, mouth and eyes going hard. "Explain why you went out on a solo mission." Alec completely disregarded Jace's observation, which just furthered Jace's concern.

Jace ran his hand through his blond hair pushing it out of his face. "Can we talk about this when we get to your room?" Jace asked praying Alec did not push for Jace to go to his room, he could not see that place right now.

Alec's expression instantly softened.

Upon arriving at Alec's room Jace felt coils of fear and nervousness begin to bubble up. He hated discussing feelings and he had already promised Maryse and Alec he would discuss what those parasites wanted him to do. The fact it reminded him closely of the Owl did not help matters.

"Jace." Alec said pulling out the desk chair and sitting down watching as Jace paced back and forth in the room.

Jace dragged his hands through his blond hair again, trying to rein in his thoughts into something he could spit out.

All that came to him was the cycle of Clary lying dead and now Alec getting beheaded by his own hand.

_At least I'm not in my own room where the Owl sent me._

Jace searched Alec's room frantically ensuring there were no bodies lying on the ground. Dresser over there, bed there.

_What was it Simon had said to focus on?_

"Jace." Alec gripped Jace's shoulders halting his pacing.

_When did he move?_

Jace stared into Alec's brown eyes a moment, emotions surging to the surface inside him, to many to grasp onto anything concrete, hands forming into fists.

Alec slid his hands up to hold Jace's face gently. "Breath."

Jace gasped an inhaled breathe, feeling his lungs fill with air again.

"Take a minute. Then tell me what you feel." Alec told him softly.

It was not the repeated question of why a solo mission Jace had expected, it caught him off guard and left him following Alec's command.

Jace closed his eyes and shook out of Alec's grasp, Alec let him go easily. Jace stood still in the room.

Jace stared at that room blankly, the memory of the Owl's cage had been so similar. Its four walls filled with weapons he could not kill himself with. Caged, helpless, and afraid as it destroyed lives with his body.

An urge to run from Alec shot through Jace and he dug his nails into his palms still clenched in a fist. He did not want Alec to see him break under his own emotions.

The same emotions of fear and paranoia Jonathan kept inducing in him on a daily basis, oscillating in intensity every time Jace dropped his guard. All of it coalescing into a single command from the Seelie parasites.

"I don't want to kill you, Alec. Please." Jace whispered, shaking his head back and forth to keep the sharp feeling behind his eyes from drawing forth.

"Jace you kept pulling me back from the edge when I felt like I was about to lose control. You aren't going to hurt me either. Tell me what you feel right now." Alec stated watching him carefully, head tilted slightly towards the ground as if to appear nonthreatening.

Jace shook his head again, not meeting Alec's gaze. Admitting weakness was tantamount to self-destruction.

_Only I kept demanding Alec to show his weakness to me. Over and over._

Alec stood near him, but did not say anything, did not even twitch at the admission from Jace. Patiently waiting for the answer to his question.

"I feel paranoid. And futile." Jace whispered, his entire body sagged from the admission.

_Helpless._

That helpless feeling lead towards everything Jace felt. Helpless to keep his parabati from falling to darkness, helpless to protect anyone he cared about, and helpless to stop himself from possession again.

"Jace…" Alec's deep voice held both a request for more and a mild warning.

Jace understood the warning, he was probably the furthest thing from futile in Alec's mind. Returning his soul and their linked bond.

Jace cleared his throat before he started speaking. "The Owl started by torturing me with images of Jonathan guiding me to kill Clary. Those parasites showed me killing you. And I can't trust my own sight. I can't trust my own mind and I'm not even possessed. I just had bugs crawling around in my head." Jace shuddered, he could feel the crescent indentations in his palms start to slice.

"It's fear, Jace. You fear possession enough that you second guess yourself. You've been doing this for months since the Owl initially took over. It has become a learned response. It can also be unlearned, just like anything." Alec said still not moving from his spot, but Jace could feel his eyes burning into his back.

Jace turned around to face Alec glaring into those dark brown eyes a moment before he had to drop his heterochromia gaze to the floor. "Just like you learned how to infect yourself with demon ichor? Was not very safe for you." Jace bit angrily. He did not like the wound Alec's words tore open realizing just how deep it ran. Even if he was the one to initiate this stupid conversation.

Surprisingly, Alec barely moved, just calmly surveyed Jace, a darkness swirled in his eyes for a moment but vanished when Alec blinked. "Do you feel unsafe?" Alec questioned.

Jace rocked back on his heels, eyes going wide.

He always felt unsafe, except with Alec. That time spent locked in their own world was the only time he felt safe and everything fell away lost within the bond until he could blank under that heat from Alec, until he could piece himself back together with whatever Alec gave back. That addicting heat he despised admitting he needed, just as often as he found himself demanding Alec to relinquish his control to him and lose himself in that heat. But that was not the real answer to the question. He was a soldier, a shadowhunter, his line of work would never allow him to be completely safe. His paranoia towards Jonathan felt unwarranted now. Jonathan had proven over and over he would protect Alec at least. The parasites were dead. Lilith and the Owl were both dead.

For some reason, that logical note took a moment to sink into Jace's brain.

_They are dead. I do not need to cling to a dead memory._

But even with these thoughts Jace knew he felt afraid and angry of ever becoming possessed again.

"Maybe?" Jace swallowed and grit his teeth against an urge to scream. "I don't want to be possessed again." Jace choked the words out of an impossibly tight throat even as his gaze swung back to Alec's darker one.

"Facilis descensus averno." Alec recited their old comrade phrase they used to pull each other out of dark places. It had been ages since Jace had heard it from Alec. "Look at your leg." Alec commanded softly. "It's a derivative of an anti-possession rune."

Jace pulled up his pant leg inspecting the strange rune that still burned against his skin. Most runes would fade their burn within a few minutes, this one continued to sear lightly. "We don't have any anti-possession runes…" Jace realized aloud, glancing up at Alec searching his face trying to decipher what he saw in those dark eyes.

"It's not Nephilim." Alec stated, something uncomfortable slid through Alec's eyes, something that appeared like guilt.

Jace snapped his gaze back down to the apparently demonic rune, eyes going wide as he searched for any dark lines of infection, there were none.

_What the hell?_

"Jonathan wanted to ensure his own soul never became entangled with a greater demon. He and Magnus have been studying precisely how to do that under the guise of finding a cure for Simon's vampirism." Alec explained shifting in the room to sit down on the bed further away from Jace. "We discovered that rune fairly recently. You are the third person to have the demonic derivative etched on your skin, it will fade within a week. I drew it on you when the medic and Silent Brother left after the procedure."

Jace stared back down at his leg. The implications in creating a new rune that Jonathan made, for some reason it did not make him sick.

_Guess new rune making runs in the Morgenstern family._

A protection from his own fear as he finally found his hand unclenching from its fist. He did not need to run through the cycle of fingers tonight.

"Alec." Jace whispered, he could not voice the relief that rune gave him.

He watched as tension bled out from Alec's shoulders as he eased down on the bed motioning for Jace to join him.

Jace crawled over to him burrowing next to his body and kicking off his boots, relishing as Alec's arms came around him securely.

"Since we're having this heart-to-bleeding-heart want to tell me how you have been doing since the rest of the darkness was pushed out?" Jace asked into the darkness, hoping to shift the conversation away from his own demons.

Alec shifted slightly a vague tension returning to his body. "Eight weeks. That's how long it will take before I know I have it beaten fully." Then quieter. "I always gave in after a week. It feels different this time though, easier to resist."

_Bet I can speed that up. Parabati bond activation works wonders._

Jace threw a leg over Alec, crawling on top of him until he could hover directly over Alec's mouth, meeting his eyes. "Bet I can last longer than you." Jace challenged with a cocky grin.

Alec gave him a deadpanned glare, but Jace could see the flickers of a smile forming. "There is a Silent Brother wandering our halls and you are insatiable. I'm trying to open up to you here, not rip your clothes off."

Jace leaned down to kiss him but Alec turned away.

"No, Jace. I haven't slept properly in weeks." Alec said but there was a hint of a smile in his voice. "Besides I am not having sex with you until you are cleared by the medic, you might have bugs in you still."

Jace drew back appearing affronted, but concern mixed in underneath his expression. "You saying you think I have a Seelie STD." Jace actually found himself let out a small huff of laughter. "I burned those bugs up." He pointed out.

Alec hit his shoulder lightly, but the smile had formed. "You burnt most of them up. Not all. Now lay down so I can actually sleep a full night for once."

Jace lay down next to Alec, moving closer until he could feel all of Alec against him. He could feel Alec matching his movements until they were comfortable.

"Alec?" Jace pushed again.

"Go to sleep, Jace." Alec grumbled exhausted, eyes closed.

Jace found he could not let it go, it was a question that had bothered him for months now. "Did I ever reach you all those times?"

Alec cracked his dark eyes open, before opening them all the way to study Jace. "You reached me every time, even before you gave my soul back, you reached me." Alec reached out a hand to run it through Jace's hair gently, a small regretful smile forming on his lips. "I find myself losing myself to this dream of being with you. And I could let myself get lost with you. The power, all my responsibilities, the tough decisions, everything I have done melts away for a little while, for a moment when I'm with you."

Jace pressed his lips against Alec's neck. "You have me." Jace whispered.

Alec flinched.

"You have my soul, my body." Jace murmured, pressing another kiss into Alec's neck mouthing the last words he still could not bring himself to speak aloud.

_My heart._

O – O – O – O – O – O – O – O

Jace jolted alert from someone entering Alec's office far too early in the morning. Plus the fact the door had been locked prior allowing Alec some peace before the influx of people swarming the three Head of the Institute offices began.

The door shut as Jace grabbed his seraph blade spinning around to face the red haired man who appeared to be twirling something shiny that looked suspiciously like lock picks and wearing a grin.

"Get out!" Jace yelled, standing up from the black couch he had been dozing on before his own day needed to begin.

"Oh. You're here. I kind of hoped you were still in the infirmary shouting blasphemous epiphanies about the Seelie Court." Jonathan drawled to Jace, before walking across the room and nudging Alec who had not bothered to look up from whatever work he was reading.

Jace stared, gaping before screwing his face up into something that resembled a glare of irritation. "Shouldn't you be out lurking for those epiphanies?" Jace returned.

"Pure one, Magnus found the cure." Jonathan stated loudly when Alec still did not move.

Alec snapped his head up eyes going wide as he looked up at Jonathan.

Jace snorted back a laugh at the startled expression before frowning in confusion. Jonathan grinned down at the dark haired man.

Alec groaned, dropping his head back down and rubbing the back of his head and neck. "Angel, Jonathan. I told you to rest." Alec glanced back up at the red head expression more in control. "Which cure? I had you studying several." He leaned back in his ornate chair before holding out his hand to Jonathan who gave him the arm with the agony rune emblazoned on it. Alec began drawing a few healing runes near it.

"You aren't concerned he just broke into your office?" Jace snapped, mildly irritated at the clear ease between the two which still bothered him immensely. More bothered by the fact Alec showed no qualms about touching the ex-demon, it always made Jace's stomach tighten seeing it.

"After yesterday I found rest plainly disinteresting. Vampirism. Although I think Magnus will only be willing to perform it once every century, maybe twice. He figured it out actually since we held back the true design we are aiming for. Although, I do believe he is discovering that as well. Can't wait for that discussion. Should be exceptionally entertaining." Jonathan informed Alec in glee, glancing over his healed arm now with a muttered "Pure one."

Alec rubbed his right arm, before shaking his head. "What's the cost?" He questioned.

"This is seriously happening? You just discovered a cure to vampirism. What were you looking for to begin with?" Jace demanded, grabbing Alec's arm and hauling him around to face him.

"We were looking for a way to seal the rest of Edom's power in my arm, a way to remove darkness from souls, and a way to extract imbued power that had sunk into genetics among other things. Not as relevant now, but the progress Magnus and Jonathan made was impressive. Magnus's father was Asmodeus, when Edom fell he gained much of that power." Alec explained, reaching out a hand to touch Jace's side where the parabati rune rested letting out a breath when he touched it.

Jace stood frozen, both from the words and the small touch.

_Angel, no wonder you don't sleep. _

Jace had been jostled awake that morning by Alec insisting they needed to visit the infirmary for Jace's checkup before Alec could start their day. Thankfully, for Jace's sanity everything came back clean. Yet Jace could not understand how Alec functioned on a daily basis with so little sleep and had a sneaking suspicion Alec might be abusing his stamina rune or reapplying the caffeine rune more often than was probably healthy.

Between the Clave, the Institute, this, and everything Jace actually knew about he doubted he would sleep much either in Alec's place.

Jace stared at Alec suddenly wishing the Iratze rune did not heal all the superficial scars, wanting to know just how many lay across Alec's body that now lay hidden in memory. Curious just how many he was unaware of that lay in Alec's mind, invisible to everyone. Just like Jace's own scars from his life.

Jonathan grinned at the two showing his teeth, flashing white before circling around the pair and stopping in Alec's line of sight. "Pure one. It requires gallons of dark rich ichor. Not as much as the masterpiece, but it works." A note of disassociated glee formed in Jonathan's voice. "We could use the blonde Clave woman that would be fun."

Alec pulled back from Jace and rolled his eyes, a surprising gesture considering the violence Jonathan just suggested. "What type of blood does it require?"

_Alec's not actually considering that, right._

Jonathan huffed, crossing his arms with a small twist of his mouth as if he was disappointed. "Demonic. And a tinge of Shadowhunter for the counterpoint, mostly it's just symbols and runes that you flood with the ichor. And a bunch of herbs that Magnus understands better than myself."

Jace doubted what Jonathan considered "tinge."

"Wait. Are you actually considering this, putting a real vampire through this idea? Using a shadowhunter?" Jace questioned Alec, unsure what Alec really planned to do with this knowledge. Jace shook his blond head. "You cannot release this knowledge to anyone."

It would be like Simon painting a target on Jace's arterial vein, only it would be Magnus targeted.

Alec turned to him, brow furrowed slightly. "We are not releasing this knowledge to anyone. I intend to use it once, provided Magnus agrees fully." Alec got up and started getting ready for the day. "Simon will be the vampire changed. He already has the most angelic blood in his system regardless. Higher chance of this working."

Jace gaped for a moment before surging forward and getting in Alec's face. "Do you hear yourself? Higher chance? Simon is not a statistic."

"This is my choice. To fix Clary's decision to destroy Simon's life, to give him a new one." Alec snapped reaching out and closing the large file he had been working on, picking it up and heading towards the filing cabinet.

Jace drew back slightly, brow furrowing and eyes narrowing. "You made Jonathan so now you want to recreate Simon?" Jace questioned harshly.

Alec paused near the filing cabinet, glancing over at Jace, eyes narrowing on what he found there. "Magnus will be remaking Simon. Not me. I am not touching that darkness, I already know exactly what will happen if I do." Alec stated, his voice barely wavered. "It's power, Jace.

_That's a small relief._

"Well, that ruined that idea." Jonathan muttered from his side of the room, at Alec's glare he shrugged. "You were very bloody minded before your parabati fixed you. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy you this way too. But it was fascinating to watch your descent into madness. It was extremely educational for me."

Alec eyed Jonathan with something that appeared like fondness before his brow furrowed further. "Thanks." Alec replied flatly.

Jonathan smirked.

"And you consider him your friend?" Jace asked crossing his arms across his chest in his usual dominant stance.

Alec glanced over at Jonathan with a small smile. "Yes. He dragged me out of the well of souls and kept me sane." Jonathan snorted back what could have been a laugh, Alec grimaced. "Sane-ish. Besides, he did not throw me into another hellish realm either."

"And I regret it every day." Jonathan said flippantly. "So what does sanity feel like today?" Jonathan drawled heading back over towards the door and letting himself out without waiting for Alec to answer.

Jace crossed his arms and glanced over at Alec with a pointed look.

"What? He wanted to throw me into another hell realm to burn up when we first crawled out of Edom." Alec stated simply.

Jace found himself smiling internally, it was the first time Alec had mentioned Edom without anger laced behind the words.

"And?" Jace prompted.

Alec grabbed a different folder from inside his desk, using his hip to close the drawer as he began flipping through the contents. "Clave dignitary and the Silent Brother will be here in an hour. Jonathan has already been assigned a different mission for the day. Can you speak to Simon about this and do not tell Izzy yet. I'll talk to Magnus."

Jace spun his stele in his hand obstinately and moved over towards the door to block Alec's path. "What does sanity feel like?" Jace repeated the question Jonathan had asked.

Alec froze, closing his eyes for a moment before licking his lips. "It feels like fire today."


End file.
